Kagome's Trial
by Sayaka M
Summary: IY GS crossover. Kagome is taken from her world by a floating eye and put into Weyard. She befriends the Valeans, but is taken back when the threat the eye foresaw passes. Three years later she is called back, this time to stay. Can she forget about her p
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Golden Sun. I wish I did, but we can't always get what we want.

Full summary: IY/GS crossover. Kagome is taken from her world by a floating eye and put into Weyard. She befriends the Valeans, but is taken back when the threat the eye foresaw passes. Three years later she is called back, this time to stay. Can she forget about her past life and move on? Rating is on the safe side.

&&

"Bye, Mom, I'm leaving," Kagome Higurashi yelled over her shoulder.

"Bye, dear," Mrs. Higurashi called. "Stay safe."

"I will," Kagome promised before closing the door and running to her family's well house. _The others need these medicines,_ she thought to herself. They had barely made it out of another one of Naraku's traps, and this time it'll take a while longer for them to recover. Miroku was the most badly injured; he'd sucked up the Saimyoushou, Naraku's poisonous insects, and now needed antidote or he would die. Everyone else was hurt to some degree, but not quite as badly as the monk.

The familiar blue light surrounded her, signaling the change from her time to the Feudal Era. Hauling her backpack onto her back, she scaled the wall with practiced steps and set off running towards Kaede's village. Reaching her destination, she pushed back the door to Kaede's hut and hurried to the sickroom. Miroku was on the futon, sweating profusely. She knelt by him and readied the medicine.

"Don't worry, Miroku," she told him, even though in his delirium he wouldn't be able to hear her, "you'll be fine soon." She forced him to swallow the bitter antidote and turned to the rest of her companions. Sango and Kirara were sitting against the back wall, watching her work on Miroku, Shippo was sleeping in one of the corners, and Inuyasha was conversing with Myoga the flea, who happened to be on Inuyasha's knee.

"Sango, let's do you and Kirara next," Kagome said, moving her stuff over to her friend's side. Sango sighed and nodded. The demon slayer wasn't very familiar with Kagome's remedies, but she was well enough acquainted with them to know that they either tasted bad or stung like a wasp sting. She visibly braced herself when Kagome brought the alcohol swab up to her arm. Working her way down the rest of her, Kagome asked Sango questions, like how old was she when she first started learning to become a demon slayer, to get her mind off the pain. Surprisingly, it worked. When Kagome informed her that she was done, she looked surprised.

"I didn't even feel most of it," the taijiya exclaimed.

"I know," Kagome said cheerfully. "When you were talking, your mind wasn't on what I was doing, so it went by faster, and you didn't feel the sting. Now it's Kirara's turn."

"That's interesting," Sango commented as she watched Kirara get treated. "Your healers are very smart to think of such a thing."

"All done," Kagome announced to Kirara, who promptly leapt off her lap and curled up in Sango's. Shippo, who had woken up while she was working on Kirara, went and crawled onto Kagome's lap.

"I'll go," he volunteered.

"Okay, this'll sting a bit, but it'll be over quickly, I promise," Kagome said as she sprayed his cuts with the infection-killing spray. The young fox demon didn't even whimper as the stinging spray touched the cuts, and when she was done, he got what he was expectantly waiting forcandy.

Turning to the hanyou and flea demon, she said, "Okay, Inuyasha, it's your turn."

"Feh, I don't need ningen medicine to heal," he said, waving his had at her as if to shoo her away.

"Inuyasha," she warned, "you may not need it to heal, but it'll make it go faster."

He snorted. "I repeat, I don't need you medicine."

She humphed. "Sit, boy," she commanded, and obediently he kissed the ground. Once the spell wore off, he jerked his head off the floor and glared at her as she tended his wounds.

"I know you think you don't need it, but do it to indulge me," she said. When she was done, he sat with his back against the wall and proceeded to glare at her some more.

This was the scene when Kaede joined them. The wizened miko took one look at the group and sighed. "I take it ye aren't going to be leaving for some time," she stated.

Kagome shook her head. "No, I think we're stuck here for some time."

Kaede smiled. "Well, then, it looks like I'll have reliable help for a while."

Sadly Kagome shook her head. "I don't know about that. I'm sure Sango is willing to help, but Inuyasha might have to be forced. I'm taking my finals in school, so I have to go back right now and study." She sighed. "This is my first year in high-school, and I've missed so much school I don't know how I'll pass my exams."

The old woman smiled. "Ye will do fine. Worrying about something won't make it go away. Go and do your best." She stepped out of the younger girl's way and started bandaging Sango's wounds with some of Kagome's gauze.

"Thank you," Kagome said and, waving good-bye to everyone, started the trek back to Inuyasha's Forest, where the well resided. _I hope they all rest, especially Inuyasha. He hates sitting around doing nothing, but I know his wounds won't heal unless he gets enough rest. Unfortunately, I don't have time to make sure they all do stay still enough to recover; I have exams I need to pass!_

&&

The bell rang, and everyone in the class leaped out of their seats cheering. "School's out for the summer!" shouted Kagome to her friends.

"Yeah, now we can sleep in and not do homework," her friend Yuki joyfully exclaimed.

Kagome smiled at that but inwardly thought, _The homework part might be true, but not the sleeping in part._ Out loud she said, "Well, I'm headed home. I'll see you guys later."

She joined the stream of classmates pushing through the door and started home. Feeling no particular urgency to get home, she meandered along, enjoying the fresh air and reveling in the knowledge that there would be no more school until next year. _It's amazing how much I appreciate days when there's peace,_ she thought idly. _I get so few of them, but that's only to be expected as long as Naraku lives._

A pulse of energy caused her to stop. _What was that?_ Praying that it wasn't a demon, she cautiously crept forward towards the source of the pulse. It led into a park and into the trees surrounding it. As she came closer, she felt the energy increasing until it was almost blowing her over. Fighting against the push of the energy, she took two steps forward and came face-to-face with…a floating, rocky eye. It looked like a demon, except it had no demon aura. It was just a giant floating rock with a single eye.

It spotted her just as she spotted it.

"You are the one I need," it said. It didn't have a mouth, so it couldn't speak, but the source of the voice was definitely from the eye.

"Wh-what?" Kagome was confused. _Why is there a floating, rocky eye in Tokyo? It's not a demon, so what is it?_

It ignored her question. Instead, blue bands surrounded it and the area around them started shifting and melding together.

"What are you doing?" demanded the confused girl. The eye glowed for one brief moment, and Kagome was thrown into a world of darkness.

&&


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you, Invader Yumi, for reviewing. You are now one of my favorite people! Glad you like it so far, even though it's barely started. Anyhoo, here's the next chapter.

Pain. Light. Too much light. Kagome squinted at the onslaught of brightness on her closed lids. Opening her eyes, fiery lances of pain penetrated her pupils, and she immediately closed them again. _Where am I? What happened? What was that thing?_ Cautiously, she tried to open her eyes again, and had to close them because of the pain. _Let's try this a different way._ Turning over and wincing at the twinges of pain the action caused, she lay on her stomach and then opened her eyes for a third time. Since she was facing away from the evil light, she could get her eyes bigger than the slits from before. Grass covered by her shadow met her gaze. _Okay, now let's turn over and see where I am._ Slowly turning over again, she found herself surrounded by trees. _It doesn't look like I've moved anywhere. What did it do? Did it just die? Was it even alive to begin with?_ She carefully stood up and took one experimental step. It was able to hold her weight, so it wasn't broken. Another step told her that both of her legs, while a little wobbly, weren't broken.

"I guess I'm just bruised," she said aloud. "Everything seems to be working." Picking up her backpack, she slung it over her shoulder. _I'd better get home, or Mom'll throw a fit. I don't know how long I was there, but it doesn't look too long; the sun is still up._ She carefully walked around trees in what she hoped was the direction of the park. Since she didn't make a habit of walking in the area surrounding the park very often, she had to guess at the path she had taken. When she was still walking five minutes later, she began to worry that she was headed in the wrong direction. After all, it had taken her only a couple of minutes to get to the rocky eye, and here she was, five minutes later, and still no clearings in sight. _Where is the park? I should've hit it by now. The sun was…already past its zenith, and I was facing it when I entered the woods. It's on my back now, so I am headed in the right direction. So why are there still so many trees?_ Avoiding more foliage, she pushed past two saplings…and suddenly there were no more trees in front of her. Unfortunately, while she realized that there were no more trees, there was also no park. At first, Kagome couldn't make her mind accept that there were no more trees. Then, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. The woods did eventually end, but there was a park at the end of it. The strain of walking after she woke up and facing the eye's energy was too much; her legs gave way and she fell down.

"Where did that thing bring me?" she whispered aloud. Even though it was sunny out, a cool breeze blew and sent shivers through her body. "Inuyasha…where are you? I need you." _It never occurred to me how much I rely on Inuyasha to save me from these situations. I'm pretty pathetic. I need to save myself this time; something tells me that Inuyasha won't be able to get me out of here._

Straightening her shoulders, she used one of the saplings she had stepped around to get herself on her feet again, took two hesitant steps, and continued across the plain. There were a few trees here and there, but nowhere near as many as were in the woods. While Kagome knew that she could be headed away from civilization, if she stayed where she was, she would probably never find help. She didn't know where that thing had dropped her, but it wasn't Tokyo. In addition to that, something seemed to be drawing her in that direction. It seemed like the mountain, which was steadily getting larger as she walked in its direction, was calling to something inside her.

When she got closer to the base of the mountain some time later, judging by the shadow in front of her, she could see houses clustered around it. _Great, people,_ she thought with relief. _Maybe they can tell me how to get back to Tokyo._ Speeding up as much as she could without being in pain, she reached the gate within fifteen minutes. Gasping, she staggered through the gate opening and looked around. There were people walking around and talking, but their style of dress was not what she was used to seeing, not even in the Sengoku Jidai.

Gathering her courage, she walked up to the closest person, a man who looked to be in his thirties, and asked, "Excuse me, but I'm lost can you tell me how to get to Tokyo?"

The man looked at her strangely, so she repeated her question. "Do you know how I can get to Tokyo?"

Again, he said nothing, just looked at her. Keeping her frustration in check, she thought, _Maybe I'm in a different part of the Feudal Era, so Tokyo doesn't exist._ "Can you tell me where Edo is located?"

The man said something unintelligible and pointed towards the stairs that looked like they were carved into the side of one of the cliffs. Kagome bowed to him and started moving towards the stairs since that's what it seemed like he wanted her to do, even though he didn't answer her question. _I guess whoever can answer my question is up here. Or maybe he's sending me to someone who can understand me._

At the top of the stairs was a small flat area, some houses, and more stairs. After that, it seemed that all she did was climb and go down stairs. Crossing a bridge, she saw, several yards ahead, was house, except this one was partly on the river and had a dock.

Walking up to the door, she knocked and a redheaded woman answered. "I'm sorry, but do you know where I can find Tokyo or Edo?" Kagome asked her.

The woman shook her head and pointed towards the north. Kagome thanked her and continued on her way. Before the woman closed the door, Kagome saw a child that looked about her age behind the woman. Then it hit her that that was the first time she saw a child of any kind in this village. The people were all in their late twenties and older. She kept going, always asking where she was supposed to head, but all the people did was point toward a set of stairs, so she just trudged on. Following the road she was currently on, she passed some steps, tired of them, and almost ran into an old man.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "Do you know where Tokyo or Edo is?"

The man looked confused. He shook his head, said something she couldn't understand and pointed up. She thanked him accordingly and dragged herself in the indicated direction. There was another bridge, but since the road ended there, she walked across. The road on the other side split north and south, but since she had always been told to head left and north, she took the northern branch. It also helped that to the north there were large stairs that led to a large building. Now very sick of stairs, even though she had a long stairway that led to her home, she climbed up and pushed open one of the double doors. Two men in blue and white robes were standing by the door and a much older man was at the end of the room behind a stone table. Not sure what to do, she stood in the doorway, waiting for someone to tell her what to do. The two men at the door took one look at her and rushed forward to her.

Surprised, Kagome stammered, "Um, hi, could you tell me–"

The two men didn't seem to be listening to her because they took hold of her arms and dragged her forward to the old man. He hurriedly came around the desk and stood in front of her. The three men spoke to each other, and their tones were worried.

Tiredness caught up to her suddenly and her legs gave way, and she would've fallen if the two men hadn't been holding onto her. They set her on the ground and spoke faster.

"Please, can you tell me how to get to Tokyo or Edo?" she asked tiredly. _Why are they not answering me? I just want a 'yes' or a 'no'. Is that too much to ask for?_

At that moment, the three men seemed to come to some sort of agreement and turned their attention to her. Kagome was about to repeat her question, but they all put their hands close to her and blue bands surrounded them, like the floating eye. Since the last time this happened she was thrown into a place where no one understood what she was saying, she panicked. Trying to push their hands away, she squirmed away from them, but they followed her, keeping her in between the three of them.

"No, stop it!" she shrieked, still trying to break out. _Those villagers weren't helping me; they sent me to these evil people. Maybe they sent the eye to collect people and then when they come here, they're killed. Maybe they're brainwashed or mind-controlled by the eye. Inuyasha, please help me!_

Even while she was panicking, she noticed that this time it was different. They weren't glowing, just surrounded by blue rings, and the world wasn't shifting; everything was still in focus. This knowledge was taking the edge off her panic, though she was still flighty. She also noticed that the pain in her legs and in places she didn't even know were in pain was receding. When the rings vanished from the men, she wasn't in any pain at all.

"Wh-what did you do?" she asked, not sure what happened, but she was still with the men and she wasn't in any pain.

The old man said something that she didn't understand and all three stood up. She copied them and looked at them, not sure what to do next.

One of the younger men asked her something, but she didn't know what he wanted, so just looked at him in confusion. He sighed and shook his head. The other man said something to him and he, taking her hand, led her out the door. To Kagome's surprise, it was already dark out. She would have gotten lost trying to make her way back the way she came if she had been by herself, but he kept a firm grip on her hand and took her back by what seemed to be a much shorter route than the one she had taken earlier. They stopped at what Kagome assumed was an inn of some sort. The man spoke to the woman at a…cash register? When they were finished, he led her up even more stairs and into a room. He said something that made absolutely no sense to her and closed the door.

_I guess this is where I'm staying for tonight,_ she thought. _I wish I had something to eat; I haven't eaten since lunch, and I'm starved, but I don't think I'd get anything. These people don't even understand what I'm saying, so it would probably be a wasted trip._

Crawling into the bed, she closed her eyes and wished to be at home or the Feudal Era with the rest of her friends.

&&

As soon as she opened her eyes, she knew she was dreaming. She was floating in nothingness, and the rocky eye was with her again.

"Why did you bring me here?" she demanded.

"You are needed," it responded.

"How am I needed? Even if I was needed, don't you think it would've been nicer to tell me before I was dragged here so I could at least bring some things with me, like clothes? And it would've been nice if you'd brought my friends with me. They're stronger than I am, and they could've helped with whatever it is."

"You are the only one who can do this," the thing said patiently. "Anyone else who would have come with you would have been a hindrance, not a help."

"You still haven't told what exactly I'm needed for," Kagome said pointedly. She knew she was being rude, but she wasn't feeling charitable at the moment, and this was the thing that took her against her will.

"I sense that the time the Lighthouses will be lit is near. Your body will absorb some of the power of the Lighthouses, which means when the Golden Sun rises, if there is a person who wishes to claim its full power, they won't be able to."

Kagome started at it. "What you just said went right over my head," she stated. "What Lighthouses, why do they give off power, and what is a Golden Sun?"

"Do know about alchemy?" it asked.

Kagome shook her head negatively.

"Alchemy is what makes up everything in this world. Fire, water, wind, and earth are the four elements that make up alchemy. Long ago that power was free for anyone to use, but men used it for war and killing, so they locked up its power in four elemental Lighthouses. The keys to theses Lighthouses, the Elemental Stars, were buried somewhere so that no one would be able to light the Lighthouses again."

"That doesn't tell me why they would give off power," Kagome said.

"If the Lighthouses are lit again, the power they contain will be unleashed on the world. It could be releases as natural disasters, like earthquakes or volcanoes."

"Okay, I'm following you so far, but what is a Golden Sun?"

"If all four of the Lighthouses are lit, their power will converge in one place and form the Golden Sun. The Golden Sun itself is the burst of energy released when the Stone of Sages is formed."

"The Stone of Sages?"

"I believe that you would call it the elixir of life, and it has the power to turn lead into pure gold."

Understanding dawned on Kagome. "Oh. Wait a minute, though. I thought you said that the keys, the Elemental Stars, were buried somewhere. If that's so, how come you're worried that the Lighthouses will be relit? Wouldn't they have to find the keys first?"

"There are people who research alchemy and the Elemental Stars. Unfortunately, there is enough information in the world about those subjects that it is possible for their location to be uncovered. I'm afraid that there are some people who are close to finding out their location and will use it to take the Stars and try to relight the Lighthouses."

"I can understand why relighting them might be dangerous, especially if it causes earthquakes and volcanoes and the like. But other than that, is it really so bad."

"Those are just the reactions when the Lighthouses are first lit. Once all four are shining again, the entire world might be destroyed."

That sent chills down Kagome's spine. "So if I absorb some of the power of the Lighthouses once, no, if, they're lit, then the world won't be destroyed?"

"That is correct."

Fury stiffened her body. "If you expect me to stay here for the rest of my life just because you _thought_ someone would light the Lighthouses, then you're crazy. I'm not spending the rest of my life here!"

"I do not expect you to," the eye said. "I sense that someone will try to take the Elemental Stars very soon, however, and if they succeed, I need you here to absorb the energy. If it doesn't happen within a certain time period, I will return you to your time."

"I am not going to waste my entire summer vacation here, you know," Kagome stated.

"I will return you with only a little time lost," the eye promised.

"There seems to be a problem with communication," Kagome pointed out. "They can't understand a word I'm saying, and vice-versa. What's the deal with that?"

"I will instruct them to allow you to stay for as long as necessary and you will have to learn their language. That is the best I can do."

"Wait," Kagome called after it as it started to fade. "Can't you just magic it into my head or something?"

It didn't answer, just continued to fade until it disappeared completely.

&&


	3. Chapter 3

I finally have the Golden Sun characters in! Yes, I know you're excited. Nothing's keeping you; read!

&&

Felix was reading a book on a chair when his younger sister Jenna bounded into the room. _So much for peace and quiet,_ he thought mournfully as he put his book down and watched Jenna bounce over to him.

"Guess what, Felix," she said, jumping from one foot to the other one.

"What, Jenna?" he asked, not really caring but wanting to make her happy.

"A stranger came into town today," she announced.

"Of course that's not the reason we were told to stay inside ever since they saw him on coming towards Vale," he said sarcastically.

"He's a she," Jenna corrected. "She came by our house and Mom answered the door. I saw her before she left. She looks like she's our age."

This was new to Felix. He'd never heard of young travelers coming to Vale, much less a female one. Yes, females had come through, but always with a caravan or an escort.

"What did she look like?" he asked curiously.

Jenna started jumping up and down energetically. "She had the most outlandish clothes on. It was almost indecent, what she was wearing. Anyway, she had some sort of bag on her back; it wasn't anything like I've seen before. And she had black hair. That's all I could tell from one look. Mom saw her see me and closed the door before I could say anything."

The sound of the door opening and closing signaled that their father came home. They heard their mother go to the front door and greet him.

"That was one of the strangest people I've ever seen," their dad said. "I couldn't understand a word of what she said. She looked pretty battered, so I just pointed her toward the Sanctum. Maybe the Great Healer will be able to understand what she's trying to say."

"She came by here," their mom informed him. "She did indeed look beaten. I'm surprised she was able to stand at all; those wounds looked pretty serious. I pointed in the direction of Sol Sanctum as well, and she left. Unfortunately, she saw Jenna."

"She saw Jenna?" His voice was sharp. "Did Jenna do anything to get her attention?"

"No, Eric, there wasn't time. I closed the door before anything could happen."

Their father sighed. "We can only be thankful that nothing happened. The children don't know why it's so important that outsiders aren't told about Psynergy."

Felix and Jenna looked at each other. "Is that why all the children are told to stay indoors when strangers are in Vale?" Jenna whispered to her older brother.

He nodded, turning his attention back to his parents. Both he and Jenna silently crept closer to better hear their parents talk.

"Do you know why she's here?" their mother asked.

"No, but the Great Healer received a vision from the Wise One, and it appears that she's going to be staying here for some time. She needs a place to stay because apparently she'll be staying here for too long to just stay at the inn. The Great Healer asked if she could be housed here since we already have two children her age."

"Is that what took you so long? I thought something unusual happened when you didn't return on time." Their mother's voice sounded worried. "I don't know if we can take her. She doesn't know our language and we're already pressed for space as it is. And what about practicing Psynergy? We can't practice while strangers are around."

"The Healer said that the Wise One has decreed that she is to be considered a Valean when it comes to Psynergy. We can freely use it in front of her. As for the language, we can teach her. Even Felix and Jenna can help with that."

"But that doesn't solve the problem of where we'll put her."

"She can stay with Jenna." Now Eric's voice had pleading overtones to it. "Everything will be fine, Arianna, just give it a chance. If you still think it won't work by the end of two weeks, I'll tell the mayor and he'll find another home for her."

"Two weeks?"

"Two weeks."

Sigh. "Alright, we'll try it for two weeks, but if things don't work out she'll be sent to a different home."

"If that's what you want, dear."

"If this is all settled, dinner's ready."

The sound of footsteps caused Felix and Jenna to launch themselves into chairs and pretend that they weren't just eavesdropping on something they weren't supposed to know about. Felix quickly picked up his book and opened it to a random page and Jenna acted like she was watching him read. Their parents came into the room just as Felix flipped his book around since he'd picked it up upside-down.

"Dinner's ready," Arianna told them.

They obediently got up and followed their parents into the kitchen. The talk at the table was carefully away from the stranger that came to Vale that evening and stayed toward more mundane things, like how Felix and Jenna's schooling was going. They chattered away at that subject, or rather, Jenna chattered away at that subject and Felix occasionally nodded and let her go on about that.

Then their dad dropped the "bomb". He stood up and cleared his throat. "Jenna, Felix, I know that you two are aware that an outsider has come to Vale." When the two of them nodded, he continued. "The Wise One appeared before the Great Healer and said she's going to be staying in Vale for a while. The mayor and the Great Healer both asked me to keep her with us, and you mother has agreed to allow it. She'll be coming tomorrow and she'll be staying with you, Jenna." That last bit was directed at his auburn-haired daughter. "She doesn't understand our language, so I'll need you two to help us teach it to her. Do you think you can do that?" He looked at them expectantly.

Jenna immediately started talking over a mile a minute, and Felix nodded his assent. _I don't know how much I can help since it seems like Jenna will be monopolizing her. It doesn't matter; as long as she's with Jenna, I won't be bothered by either of them._

When dinner was finished, Felix retreated to his room and lay on his bed and stared at his ceiling. Even from there he could still hear Jenna talking excitedly to their mother as they cleaned up the dishes. He just shook his head and sighed. _This is going to be interesting._

&&


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for reviewing, savinglifelessness. It's mostly about Kagome in Weyard, not so much Inuyasha. Sorry. There's a little bit, but not much. Anyway, enjoy!**

Opening her eyes, the first thing Kagome thought of was why didn't her alarm clock go off. Once she woke up a bit more, she remembered that summer vacation had started yesterday when the exams ended, so she didn't have to set her alarm clock that night. Unfortunately, she didn't recognize her surroundings. This wasn't her bedroom, and since she was staying in a bed, she couldn't be in the Feudal Era. _Where am I? This isn't right. Wait; there was a floating eye, a lot of stairs, strange people…Oh. That's right; I'm supposed to spend who knows how long in this place. I can't believe I'll still be learning in summer vacation. Foreign languages aren't my strong point; why couldn't it have just been something easy, like history or something?_

A knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts. Staggering over to the door, she opened it to reveal the woman that the blue-robed man spoke to yesterday. The woman said something and held up her arms, which were holding clothes. Stepping back, Kagome allowed the woman to enter the room. The woman put the clothes on the table next to the bed, said something Kagome couldn't understand, but by the gesturing of her hands, Kagome was able to figure out that the woman wanted her to change. When she walked over to the clothes and picked them up, the woman stepped out and closed the door.

Turning her attention to the clothes in her hands, she noticed right away that they weren't like her school uniform, but that was only to be expected. While walking through the village yesterday, she saw that none of the women were wearing green miniskirts; actually, none of them were wearing miniskirts. In addition, they weren't wearing white fukus. The clothes in her hands weren't bright like she was used to; these were more muted colors. The brown pants were a little too big, but the belt fixed that problem, and the tunic was a soft green. To her surprise, there were still clothes that she had to put on. She shrugged on the bluish-green vest and picked up the last item. It looked like it was some sort of…cape? Finding the top end, she put it around her shoulders and found the clasp that went around her neck. Looking in the full-length mirror, she examined herself. The cape thing had a hood and swept around her ankles, so she assumed it was for keeping rain off, like a poncho. All in all, the colors looked good on her.

There was another knock on the door, and when she opened it, she revealed the same woman. Looking at her, the woman smiled in satisfaction, entered the room, took up Kagome's old clothes and backpack over her protests, and motioned for Kagome to follow her. She led the younger girl back down the stairs and to the man Kagome first spoke with yesterday. Once again, Kagome was lost as the two traded words and the woman, after giving the man Kagome's old clothes and bag, made shooing motions with her hands and went back to her cash register. The man motioned for her to follow him and headed out the door. Obediently trailing the man since she wasn't about to let him just walk away with her things, they walked back up almost all those stairs she had taken the day before to the house on the water where she stopped to ask directions. _This must be where he lives,_ Kagome thought to herself.

The redheaded woman from yesterday opened the door and greeted the man in their language. Once that was done, the woman turned her gaze to Kagome. She had kind eyes, but it seemed like she was taking Kagome's measure and was finding her lacking by her standards. Still, she stepped aside and allowed them both to enter the house. The woman took her clothes and bag from her husband and walked up the stairs. She looked over her shoulder and when she saw that Kagome wasn't following, motioned for her to follow. Feeling like she was a slave that trailed after whoever told her to, she climbed the stairs in the woman's wake and followed the woman into a room. Inside was what looked like a teenager's room. A vanity was against one of the walls, and a dresser was against a different wall. Two beds with their headboards against the wall adjacent to the door took up the most space, but it was still a larger room than Kagome had at her home in the Higurashi Shrine.

The woman set her bag on the bed farthest from the door and started for the door again with the clothes still in her hand.

"Wait," Kagome called after her, afraid she was going to throw them away. "I need those!"

The woman seemed to understand what distressed her, and started making scrubbing motions with her hands on the fuku. At first Kagome didn't know what she was trying to do, but then she figured out that she was going to wash it. The woman smiled when she saw that Kagome understood and left.

Kagome meandered over to the bed her bag was dropped on and sat down. _Well, this is good; I now know where I'm sleeping, but now what?_

&&

"That's not fair," Garet shouted at Jenna as she reached Kraden's cottage first. "You got a head-start; that's cheating."

Jenna stuck her tongue out at him. "You just weren't ready when I said 'go'. I don't see how that's my fault."

"You said it so fast I didn't know what you said until you were already ahead," Garet pouted.

Jenna giggled. She loved making him mad; it was always entertaining. It was always good being around Garet; he was such a clown, but he was always there when you needed him.

By now Kraden, Isaac, and Felix had caught up to them. All three were talking about one thing or another. It was tough for Isaac to talk to strangers; he barely said three words to Kraden when they first started learning from him, but now he was as talkative with him as he was with the rest of them. Felix was naturally silent; he listened more than he spoke, but he opened up more to them than other people.

"Kraden, do we have anything else we need to do?" she asked, bouncing from one foot to the other. _Please say no, please say no. That girl came today and I want to see her._

Laughing, the old alchemist shook his head. "No, Jenna, we don't. Why are you so antsy?"

"That stranger from yesterday is coming to our house to stay and she's staying in my room," Jenna explained. "She should be there already, so I want to go see her."

Garet's head snapped in her direction. "Can we come?" he pleaded. "We want to see the outsider, right, Isaac?" He looked at his best friend.

Isaac nodded. "I've never seen an outsider before," he commented. "It would be interesting."

Unfortunately, Felix shook his head. "Sorry, guys, but our parents said they don't want to overwhelm her with too many strangers at one time. Maybe when she can understand our language better."

Kraden sighed. "I was hoping to speak with her about her culture," the old alchemist said mournfully. "I heard that she came in the most outlandish clothes, so I assume that her culture would be different than anything I've ever heard of."

Jenna patted him on the back sympathetically. "If I can ever understand her or she can understand us, I'll ask her for you," she promised.

The old man smiled sadly. "Thank you, Jenna. It won't be the same as there are many questions that I wish to ask that you would never think of, but for the moment, it's enough."

"Well, we have to go, so I'll see you all tomorrow. Bye," she called as she practically dragged Felix down the path to their home. Of course, today of all days, Felix decided to walk extremely slow, and of course, this made Jenna mad. "Hurry up," she shouted to him as he took his time strolling down the path. "Why are you walking so slow today?"

"I'm going as fast as I normally do; you're the one that's moving faster than normal," he called back to her.

Tapping her foot impatiently, she crossed her arms and waited for him to catch up. _He is so slow; why can't he hurry up? He's acting like this is just a regular day. Maybe he's just nervous. Poor Felix. Maybe he's just worried that she won't like him or he won't like her._

She was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Felix catch up and pass her until he called over his shoulder, "I thought you were the one who wanted to rush home to meet the new person."

Jenna shook her head to clear it and charged ahead again. "Yeah!"

&&


	5. Chapter 5

Kagome had spent the entire day with the woman, Arianna, trying to learn how to communicate with her. So far she learned the words for household items, like chair and table. Of course, she didn't know every word for every item in the house, and she knew she wouldn't remember half the ones she knew now by the time tomorrow came, but she was making progress. She was currently trying to learn the names of dishes when the woman's head turned in response to something Kagome didn't catch. A few seconds later, the door slammed shut and the sound of footsteps was heard. Then, the girl who stood behind Arianna earlier was in the doorway. When she spotted Kagome, she ran over and said something Kagome couldn't understand. She seemed to be friendly, so Kagome assumed that she was trying to say hi.

"Hi, I'm Kagome," she said nervously.

The girl looked confused, but her mother said something to her and her face cleared up. Kagome heard her name mentioned, so she guessed that Arianna had told her daughter what Kagome's name was. The girl turned to Kagome and asked, "Kagome?"

Kagome nodded. "Hai."

The girl pointed to herself and said slowly and clearly, "Jenna."

"Jenna?" Kagome repeated, trying to say the girl's name.

Jenna smiled and nodded happily. She turned to her mother and asked something, but Arianna shook her head. Jenna's face fell and she asked again, but whatever she was asking her mother didn't agree. In the end, Jenna hung her head and gave up. She looked back at her mother when Arianna asked her something and frowned. Responding in puzzled tones, she faced the direction she had come from and shouted something. Nothing answered her, but the sound of footsteps reached Kagome's ears and a boy that looked a little older than Jenna appeared in the doorway.

His brown hair was pulled into a loose ponytail that fell over his right shoulder. It looked like it was almost as long as her hair, which was surprising, as every other guy she had seen in this village had short hair. Like her, he was dressed in muted colors, not like his sister, who was wearing mauve and red. He had a pleasing face, but at the moment, it showed no expression whatsoever.

His mother said something to him, and he walked over to Kagome. His mother said something more insistently this time and he pointed to himself and said, "Felix."

&&

When they two of them got home, Jenna ran to the kitchen while Felix stood where he was, taking in the sounds in the kitchen. He heard Jenna start talking to the girl.

"Hi, I'm Jenna, who are you?" she asked.

There was no sound for a second, then a strange voice answered, "Konnichiwa, watashi wa Kagome desu."

"She doesn't understand us quite yet, Jenna," their mother said. "Her name is Kagome. To tell her your name, point to yourself and say your name."

"Kagome?" Jenna asked. Felix assumed that she was just making sure she'd heard the girl's name correctly.

"Hai," the voice said.

"Jenna," Jenna said slowly, like she was talking to Garet when he was being particularly pigheaded.

"Jenna?" the voice said slowly as if getting the feel of her name on her tongue.

"Mom, can we bring Isaac and Garet over to see her?" Jenna asked their mother.

"No, dear, we don't want to overwhelm her," their mom explained patiently. "She only just got here, and we want to help her adjust slowly."

"But, Mom, they won't cause trouble. They just want to see her; they won't overwhelm her," Jenna protested.

"No, dear. Maybe later, once she knows more of our language."

Jenna sighed and hung her head.

"Oh, by the way, where's your brother?" Arianna asked.

"He came in with me, so I guess he's still standing in the doorway. Felix," Jenna called him.

_This is it,_ he said to himself and slowly walked to where his mother, sister, and a stranger waited for him. Stopping in the doorway, he saw his mother preparing dinner and his sister standing by the strange person.

At one glance she didn't seem too strange. She was dressed like other women in the village that were about to leave Vale for some reason or other. However, her black hair marked her as a foreigner, as well as her face. Her brown eyes were bright with curiosity, but also no small amount of apprehension.

"Introduce yourself to her, Felix," his mother commanded when he didn't immediately say anything.

Reluctantly he dragged his legs forward until he was right in front of the nervous girl. Not sure how to proceed, he looked back at his mother.

"Point to yourself and say your name," she said exasperatedly, fed up with his stalling.

Feeling very foolish, he did as his mother said, pointed to himself and said, "Felix."

"Felix," she repeated after him. She smiled brightly, pointing to herself, responded, "Kagome."

Dinner was both noisy and educational that night. Kagome sat between Jenna and their mother, and while they ate they taught Kagome the names of different random things, like what a fork was called or the name of a food. The food she picked up easier than the eating utensils. She kept calling a fork a "kumade", a cup a "kappu", a knife a "debabouchou", and a plate a "pure-to".

Felix didn't say much to anyone, but that was usual for him. He listened to Jenna and his parents educate the poor girl on what things were called. Figuring that they didn't need him to help her, he ate his food and watched them. Excusing himself when he was done, he put his dishes in the sink and went up to his room. Sitting on his bed, he looked at the chair by his desk and focused on just moving it. Technically, he wasn't supposed to be using Psynergy yet, but he figured that he should be able to something as simple as using Move on an object. Still, he couldn't make it move more than six inches; last time he tried he measured the exact distance it moved. Now he was trying to beat it by at least half an inch.

A knock on his door interrupted his concentration. Keeping back his frustration, he called, "Yes?"

Taking that as permission to enter, the door opened and Jenna popped her head in. "You took off really fast," she commented as she came in. "What's the rush?"

"Nothing," he answered her, giving the chair his attention again.

"Come on, Felix," Jenna said as she flopped down beside him on his bed. "I know strangers make you nervous, but she's really nice, even if she can't communicate with us. She's really trying, though."

He didn't say anything, just focused on the chair. Jenna followed his gaze and also stared at the chair, even though she had no idea what he was trying to do. They stayed like that for ten minutes, just staring at the desk chair. Finally, Jenna had enough of staring at an object for apparently no reason.

"What are you trying to do?" she asked exasperatedly. "We've been glaring at this poor chair for ten minutes, and it still hasn't grown extra legs and walked away."

"I'm trying to make it move," Felix answered her absently.

Jenna gaped at him. "I didn't think you could move something that big," she commented.

"Most people can't at my age," he explained, "but I've managed to move it six inches. Now I'm trying to beat that."

"Oh." Jenna stopped asking questions and watched him for another five minutes, but nothing happened.

Another knock on his door and their mother came in. "Jenna, will you stay with Kagome?" she asked. "She's a little frightened, but I think another girl's presence will help her calm down a bit."

"Sure," Jenna responded. Turning to her brother, she said good-bye and left with their mother.

Outside his door, Felix could hear Kagome join his mother and sister. Babbling in that foreign language she tried to tell them something, but neither they nor he could understand a word she said. His mother said something about needing to see Dora, Isaac's mother, for some reason, and left Jenna and Kagome alone.

"Let's go back to our room and we'll work on your vocabulary," Jenna said cheerfully, and their footsteps faded as they walked away from his room.

Felix shook his head and once again concentrated on moving that darned desk chair.

&&


	6. Chapter 6

Kagome stared at the object this Jenna girl put in front of her. It looked like a stick, but Jenna kept calling it a staff . (Words that appear in are what the Valeans are saying, but Kagome can't understand them.) Jenna repeated staff over and over, and Kagome tried her best to mimic her sounds until she got it right. Once she had that word down, Jenna would clap happily and move onto a different object.

Since there was no electricity here, candles were lit. It wasn't as bright as Kagome was used to, but she wasn't about to complain. After all, these people were taking her in for who knows how long, so she was going to make it as easy for them as possible.

Jenna yawned, then after saying good night , climbed into bed and pulled the covers over herself. Kagome assumed she said goodnight, so she said the same and got under her own covers. Overall, she felt that her first day here with these people had gone pretty well. At least she's with people her own age.

_That boy didn't say much. I don't think he said anything to me other than his name. Well, at least Jenna's friendly. Still, I hope this won't take too long. Inuyasha and the others need me. If I'm gone too long, then he'll come for me, and then there'll be general panic when I'm not at home or in the Feudal Era. There's nothing I can do now, so I might as well sleep on it._

The next morning she was woken by Jenna shaking her shoulder. Muttering under her breath, she followed the brunette down the hall and into the kitchen. Arianna was serving breakfast to her husband and son, so they were the last ones up. The redheaded woman smiled when she saw her daughter and Kagome and motioned for them to sit down. Kagome did as she was bid and tried to remember what these items were called from last night.

_I know this isn't a kappu,_ she thought, staring at the bowl-like object at the top of her place. _It's similar, but not the same. What is it? Maybe it's a fork?_ Pointing to the item, she asked, "Fork?"

Jenna laughed and shook her head. "Cup," she corrected.

"Cup," Kagome repeated. _Okay, if that's a cup, what's a fork? Where are their chopsticks, for that matter?_ Picking up a sharp metal thing next to her left hand, she turned to Jenna and tried again. "Fork?"

This time Jenna nodded. " Yes, fork, " she said.

_I guess 'yes' means 'hai', so that's good. If they say 'yes', then I'm doing something right._

Jenna's brother said something that Kagome couldn't hear, but Jenna nodded happily and smiled. Then Arianna said something, causing her son to bolt from the table and up the stairs and Jenna to start shoveling food into her mouth as fast as it could go. Kagome watched in astonishment as she followed her brother's example after demolishing her food. There was a lot of thumping going on upstairs as well as the sound of things being thrown around. The two of them then reappeared for one brief moment and disappeared out the door.

The two adults shook their heads in amusement and continued with what they were doing. Kagome was still mystified by what had just happened, but knowing that she wouldn't get an answer that she could understand, shrugged and helped herself to breakfast.

After she was done, Arianna showed her where the sink was and, since she didn't see a dishwasher, assumed that she was supposed to wash them herself. _I can't see how they can have running water and not have electrical lights,_ she said to herself as she washed her dishes. _I guess it's one of the mysteries of life here._ Once that was done, she and Arianna started their "schooling" of Kagome in the language of these people.

&&

This pattern continued for weeks on end. Every day she would eat breakfast with Jenna and her brother and then they would leave for their lessons with the old man she ran into on her first day here. Then she and either Arianna or Eric, when he was home, would practice teaching their language and other useful things, like doing laundry without a washer or a dryer, and cooking and cleaning. Before she knew it, months had passed and she was starting to adjust to her life here.

But that didn't stop the pangs she felt when she thought of her family and her friends in the Feudal Era. In her backpack, while it didn't contain schoolbooks, it did have pictures along with a few other odds and ends. When she was feeling homesick, she would take out her photo album and leaf through it, smiling sadly at the funny pictures and think about what they were doing at that moment. Of course, she always made sure that no one was around when she brought out her pictures. There wasn't really a reason that she did this; she just wanted to keep her old life separate from the rest of this world.

"Kagome, can you go by Dora's and drop off these herbs for me," Arianna called from downstairs.

"Okay," she called back, setting aside her memories of home. By now she had most of the language down since that was all she heard every single day. A while ago Arianna and Eric had allowed Jenna and Felix to introduce their friends to her, and now they came by almost every day. They went to lessons with Kraden, the old scholar, but she stayed with Arianna still. After all, she'd only been there for five months, so she still was a bit behind, and Arianna had told her that Kraden would ask her a lot of questions in a very short amount of time and probably overwhelm her. She knew that Arianna planned to have her join the rest of the children soon since she didn't know that the Wise One would be taking Kagome home when there was no longer a danger to the Lighthouses.

She took the basket of herbs from Arianna and walked out the door, ignoring the strange look Arianna had given her. Yes, she was dressed in the garb of a Shinto priestess, and it did look strange, but for some reason she had felt like wearing it that morning. She was surprised that it was in her backpack, as she didn't remember putting it there, but accepted it.

She waved to some of the people she now recognized and they waved back. It wasn't too far to Dora and Kyle's place, though it did require her to walk up those incredibly long stairs and then back down, which was just as bad as going up since there were no rails to keep people from falling off the edge. Because of all the stairs in Vale, as the village was called, her calves were a lot stronger than when she had first come here. Finally, she reached Dora's home. She knocked on the door, and Dora herself answered the door.

"Why, if it isn't Kagome," she said warmly, not mentioning the girl's outlandish clothes. "Come in. Did Arianna send you?"

"Yes, ma'am," Kagome replied. "She said to give this to you." She offered the older woman the basket.

"Thank you," Dora said to Kagome, taking the offered basket. "Since you're here, do you think you could do me a favor?" When Kagome nodded her head, she stepped back and walked to the kitchen with Kagome following curiously. "Here," she said, giving Kagome a cookie. "I just made these and I need a tester. Since Isaac is in school with the rest of the children and Kyle is working, I'll just use you. Tell me if they're any good."

Kagome bit into the cookie and savored the sweet taste of it. "It's great!" she said happily, quickly finishing the cookie. "You always make good cookies."

Dora smiled. "Then here, you can have these." She gave her an entire basketful of cookies. The basket wasn't as big as the one Kagome had given her, but it was still a good-sized basket.

"That's too much," she protested. "I'm sure that Ms. Arianna wouldn't want to take all these from you."

She laughed. "Don't worry, I've made too many this time, so I was looking for an excuse to get rid of some, and you've just given it to me."

"Well, in that case, thank you," Kagome said. "Do you need me for anything else?"

"No, dear," Dora said. "You go enjoy the day. I'll see you later."

They parted ways and Kagome trekked back down to her, no, Arianna's home. _This isn't good. That rock thingie never said exactly when it would take me home, and now I'm started to think that this is my home. I like it here, but I hope it takes me home before I forget and not want to leave here when the time comes._ She walked in, gave the cookies to Arianna, and ran upstairs to get her album. Running back outside, she sat under one of the large trees that were scattered around Vale and started leafing through it.

Here was a picture of Inuyasha and Miroku fixing something in the village, and here was one of Sango giving Kirara a bath, though it looked more like Kirara was giving Sango a bath with all the fuss she was putting up. Then one of the whole group smiling and laughing on one of their rest days when they were waiting for news of jewel shards or demon attacks or Naraku's whereabouts were located. Each picture had a different story to it, and Kagome relived all of them as the pictures dictated.

"Kagome?" a voice asked.

Startled, her head snapped up to look at Felix, who was looking at her in a concerned way. This surprised her. He rarely spoke to her in the five months she had been living with him, but Jenna said that was normal, that he was more of a listener than a talker. Even then, though, the two of them had very little to do with each other. He didn't help her learn the language as much as the rest of the family, and Isaac and Garet when they were over, so she didn't know him very well.

"I thought that you'd be in school with Jenna and the others," she said, getting up quickly.

He looked at her strangely. "We've been done for hours," he informed her. "Look at how dark it is out here."

Just like he said, it was getting darker. The sun was almost completely gone, and the shadows were lengthening. It was surprising that she didn't notice that, considering that she was looking at pictures, which required light to see.

"Sorry, I lost track of time," she apologized as she got up.

"Mom was worried, that's all," he told her. "She's paranoid that something will happen to you." By now she knew of the two week trial that Arianna agreed to before she came to stay with them, and she apparently passed with flying colors, since two weeks was a long time ago. Now Arianna used her as a helper, and Kagome was more than willing to earn her keep.

She was about to leave when Felix asked her, "What's that?" He pointed to her album.

She was about to refuse to tell him, but he wasn't normally this talkative, and she figured it wouldn't hurt anything to let him see it. "This is a book with pictures from my home," she said. He cautiously walked over to her and they both sat down. Kagome opened the book to the first page, which had a picture of the entire group smiling and laughing. "These are my friends back home," she said softly. "I'm sure that they're worried about me, but there's nothing I can do about it."

Before she knew it, she was showing him every picture and telling him the stories that went along with them. To her surprise, he opened up and was laughing along with her. By the time they were done, Felix knew about every person in that book almost like she did. It was almost a relief to be able to talk about them to somebody; she couldn't even do that in her home, since none of her friends at school knew about the well or her friends in the Sengoku Jidai.

Felix looked up at the sky and shot to his feet. "I was supposed to bring you back," he explained when she gave him a questioning look. "It's really late now; I'll be surprised if the entire village isn't looking for us."

"Could they not find us?" she asked. "I mean, Vale is big and all, but if they looked really hard for us, couldn't they find us in a short amount of time?"

"Not while we're here," he answered. "This is where I normally go when I want to be alone, so I know that they can't find his place unless their eyes are really sharp."

Kagome stood up. "We don't want to worry Ms. Arianna." They started back, but then Kagome thought of something. "Felix?" she called.

He stopped and looked back at her. "Yes?"

"Thanks for listening," she said shyly. "You have no idea how much that meant to me. It's just, I don't know if I'm ready for everyone else to know about it."

He smiled. "I won't say anything about it," he promised. "Now come on, Mom's going to tan my hide as it is, and the longer we take, the longer she'll make the pain last. By the way, what are you wearing?"

"Oh, this?" She indicated her miko clothing, and he nodded. "It's just something from home. I felt like wearing it this morning, that's all."

His mother didn't tan his hide when they got in, but she did yell at the both of them for some time. Of course, they both knew she was just worried, and they did deserve it, so they stayed silent and waited for her to finish ranting. After she was worn down, she sent them away, so they went upstairs where Jenna had wisely stayed.

"Why were you two so late?" she asked. "Did it really take you that long to find her, Felix?"

They informed her that he'd found her a long time ago, but then they got distracted with the stars and stayed where they were, Felix showing her what constellations there were. There was no mention of the pictures. Satisfied with their explanation, Jenna and Kagome bade Felix good night and they left for their room and he to his.

&&


	7. Chapter 7

**Savinglifelessness, yes, this will eventually be a Felix/Kagome story, but it won't happen this round. You'll find out why in the second paragraph. Glad you liked the whole cup-fork thing.**

**Musashi the Master, thank you for reviewing. It means a lot, even if all you say is "Hi. Like the story." It's feedback.**

**Anyway, keep reading, and if you peoples are good, I might give you two new chapters tomorrow if my computer cooperates. I already have the whole thing done, so it's just a matter of posting it.**

&&

After that day, Felix and Kagome could hardly be found apart. They were the same age, but they were also close in age to the other three. However, that day a bond formed between the two and it was almost like they were each other's shadow. The other villagers grew used to seeing the pair together, and when they saw one, they automatically looked for the other.

Jenna, Isaac, and Garet viewed this with amusement. They knew that Felix was naturally introverted and this was a very promising start. Of course, they thought that they fancied each other. What they didn't know was Kagome was already taken by a half-demon from another time. Felix knew this so he kept his distance. They were still close, but Kagome wouldn't bring herself to betray Inuyasha, and Felix was too well mannered to try and make her.

At the moment, Felix and Kagome were gazing longingly out over the fence by Kraden's cottage. This fence supposedly kept demons out of Vale and in a cave that was somewhere behind it, so no one was allowed on the other side.

"Do you think there are strong demons on the other side?" Felix asked her idly.

_It depends on what you call "strong",_ Kagome thought but didn't say. Out loud, she said, "Maybe. I don't know why the elders haven't eradicated them, though."

Felix shrugged, indicating that he didn't know either. The two would've stayed longer, but Kraden called them up. Knowing they'd better go, they turned and walked up the steps to his home.

"Good, you're here," he said when they came into view. "Today we're going out of Vale to look for these plants." He showed them a small plant that had red and blue leaves as well as green ones. "We're running low on antidotes, so we need to find more. This is what it's mixed from, so we're to find and harvest as many as we can. Isaac, Jenna, and Garet are needed for something else, so it will be just the three of us. Let's get to work!" The energetic old man gave them baskets for the plants and led the way out of Vale to a place not far out of the small town.

The area had lots of trees, so it was difficult to see what they were looking for, but if they got closer to the ground it was much easier. As they worked, Kraden told them about the antidote plant.

"We crush it to get the antidote made," he explained. "We could just eat the plant itself, but it wouldn't work as well. It's much stronger when the juices of the plants are mixed together. It's more potent this way. If you're badly poisoned, eating one plant won't cure you, it'll just slow down the poison. It would take three, maybe four, to cure a large dose of poison."

Six hours later they were done. Of course, they didn't work the entire time; Kraden had brought lunch for them, and they had taken small breaks every hour. When they were done, none of their baskets were completely full, but they found enough to last them for a little while. Kraden took their baskets when they arrived back in Vale and told them that they would collect more at a later time.

The next day they were getting ready to go back to Kraden's cottage for their lessons with Jenna, Isaac, and Garet when Arianna stopped them. "You're not going out today," she said tersely when they asked her. "Strangers have been spotted coming to Vale, and you aren't allowed out."

This wasn't good news. Jenna now had nothing to do except bug Felix and Kagome, and they had to not explode with boredom. After only three hours Kagome was thinking longingly of her bag in her and Jenna's room. _Maybe it's time I showed them what a CD player is,_ she thought to herself. _I have to have something to do, and listening to music sure beats what I'm doing now._ Excusing herself, she took the steps two at a time and got her bag out from under her bed. Reaching into it, she took out her CD player and her case of CDs and went back down the stairs.

"What's that?" Jenna asked when she saw what Kagome had in her hands.

"This is a CD player," she explained, holding up the player, "and this is my CD case." She held up the other hand with the case in it. "Since we have nothing better to do, I thought I'd bring it down and show you guys how to use it. It'll give us something to do, at any rate." So she sat down and explained how it worked. Since she only had one set of headphones, they had to take turns listening. After a while, Kagome remembered the speakers in the front pocket of her bag. Usually she didn't have them so she didn't remember they were there. Once she plugged the speakers into the player they all listened. While she was getting the speakers, she also spotted a deck of cards, so she taught them how to play simple games, then, once they got the hang of it, moved on to more difficult games.

Since there was no light except for candles and the sunlight from the windows, they had put themselves down in front of a window. Looking outside, Kagome saw a group of people following one of the townspeople. She didn't recognize them, so she assumed they were the reason they couldn't go outside; Felix and Jenna had explained about the foreigner rules earlier. However, these people didn't look quite right. It took her a moment to figure it out, but then it hit her; their skin wasn't a normal color. The one in the lead had blue skin, and the ones following after him also had a varied skin color. As they came closer, the blue-skinned one seemed to look directly at them. Kagome froze, and by the way she could see Felix stiffen beside her, she knew that he saw the strange folk as well. Those burning red eyes seemed to pierce into her soul. Luckily it didn't last for very long; the blue-skinned thing had to keep following the Valean to wherever they were going.

The exchange was so short that Jenna missed it, but a feeling akin to being drenched in cold ice water in the middle of a snowstorm fell over both Kagome and Felix. They continued playing cards, but the image of that thing with burning red eyes stayed in their mind's eye.


	8. Chapter 8

**Yes, I got through today's Band Session, and now I can update for you peoples. People are reviewing! Yay! That makes me very happy. I love all y'all.**

**Savinglifelessness: this is before the game even starts. I'll get to the lighting, don't worry. And I updated. Aren't you happy with me?**

**Musashi the Master: you are helping greatly. Anyone who reviews helps. It gives me incentive to have the next chapter up for you. I like sharing my stories, and I like it even better when people enjoy them. What I like even more than that is when they tell me they like them.**

**Wildfire Dreams: I really don't like fics that bash Inuyasha and make him a heartless person. I, personally, love him; he can be really caring at times. I hate breaking his heart, but this is going to be a Felix/Kagome story. We'll see how things are once she gets back to her own time. **

&&

No one was allowed to leave their homes except a select few. Eric had to work so he was gone for most of the day, and when he came back, he was furious.

"Those people threatened the Healer and the mayor," he raged, grabbing a cup of water and downing it in one gulp.

"Who were they that both the mayor and the Healer were present?" asked Arianna as she served food for the family. "What did they want?"

He laughed without humor. "They were an embassy from the north, and they wanted access to Sol Sanctum to look for the Elemental Stars."

"They should've known that they wouldn't be granted permission to enter Sol Sanctum," Arianna commented. "And to look for the Elemental Stars no less."

"What are Elemental Stars?" Kagome quietly asked Felix.

"They're a legend," he answered. "Supposedly if a person has only one, they could destroy or take over the whole world. Also, they're the key to unlocking the powers of the Elemental Lighthouses, which will make Psynergy run rampant in the world again."

"The Elemental Lighthouses?"

"Back in the old days, Psynergy was a common thing, but then a group of Adepts locked up those powers in the Lighthouses, one for each of the four elements, and hid the Elemental Stars so that Psynergy was sealed away. The Lighthouses are still around, but the keys aren't to be found anywhere."

"And those people are looking for them?"

"I guess they think the answer to finding them is in Sol Sanctum. If they actually exist, they can be used to relight the Lighthouses and release their power. But if that were to happen, the entire world would be destroyed."

_I guess those Stars are their equivalence of the Shikon no Tama, except there are four of them._ "But they're only a legend?"

"Yeah." Felix frowned. "I don't know why they'd ask to go to Sol Sanctum for just a legend, though. No one is allowed in there, not even the healers."

The discussion changed to how the family spent their day entertaining themselves. Eric expressed his astonishment that the house was still standing, which started all three of the children on how they learned to play cards and listened to Kagome's "noise box". This got the adults' interest, so she retrieved her cards and CD player and demonstrated what they were talking about. By the time they were finished, it was had been dark for some time, so Arianna shooed them to bed. "You all will need to go with Kraden tomorrow and catch up on what was missed today," she told them.

At the top of the stairs the two girls said their goodnights to Felix and made their way into their room. It no longer bothered Kagome to think of this place as her home anymore. She had long since given up hope that the rock would take her home and tried to make the best of what she had. On the rare occasion that she felt homesickness, she would take out her pictures and look through them, remembering what each one represented. Then it would pass, and she would put it away and keep moving on. The hardest thing for her to try and forget was Inuyasha. He would always be at the back of her mind, and she missed him so much at times there was a physical ache in her heart. She thought of him every night before she went to sleep, and while today's events did occupy her mind, the last thing she thought of was him before sleep overtook her.

She was rudely awakened by someone shaking her shoulder. "What?" she asked groggily, not opening her eyes.

"Get up," Arianna's voice said urgently. "We need to leave."

Sighing, Kagome opened her eyes to a dark room lit only by a candle. On the other bed Jenna was already moving. "What's wrong?" she asked Arianna, still not awake.

"The boulder on Mt. Aleph is falling," was her distracted answer. "Don't bother bringing anything; just come with me." She turned and hurried out the door with Jenna right behind her. Kagome followed them after grabbing her bag; something told her she would want it later. She joined everyone else downstairs and waited while Eric and Arianna discussed what to do. A short time later they reached a decision.

"You four will go down to the plaza," Eric told them sternly. "I'm going to help the elders try to stop the boulder."

They nodded and started for the door when Felix stopped and turned around. "Felix, what are you doing?" Kagome hissed when he went in the opposite direction of everyone else. "We have to leave or we'll get flattened."

"I need to get Jenna's necklace," he called over his shoulder. "I promised her I'd look after it." He darted out the door and onto the dock where rain pelted him. Kagome didn't want to leave without him so she waited just inside the doorway. He bent down to get something and started back when he was jerked to a stop. The necklace had gotten caught on a piece of wood and he was struggling to get it off when a huge wave came down the river. Kagome tried to warn him but was too slow. The wave slammed into the dock, swamping the entire pier. When Kagome looked out again, the dock was still there, but Felix wasn't.

"Felix!" she screamed over the roar of the wind, thunder, and rain. Running out, she slipped on the wet boards but was saved from falling into the river by the railing. She got on her knees and scanned the water around the dock. She heard footsteps from inside the house and heard Arianna shout. Looking at her, she saw the woman pointing farther down the river, and when she looked herself, there was Felix, holding onto a wooden pole and looking half-drowned.

Behind her, she heard Eric searching for something but not finding it. "Arianna, where's the rope?" he shouted over the thunder.

The redheaded woman joined her husband in looking for it while Kagome and Jenna could only watch Felix trying not to slip off the pole. More footsteps told of the arrival of new people. Sparing a glance to the door, she saw Dora and her husband Kyle. She didn't hear how Arianna explained the situation to them, but they knew that Felix was in danger of drowning and they joined in the search.

"Got it!" Eric yelled triumphantly, holding a coil of rope in his right hand. He knelt by the edge of the pier and slowly let the rope out into the water. It twisted this way and that in the currents, but it stopped before it was three-fourths of the way to where Felix was hanging on for dear life. "It's not long enough," Eric said in frustration. "We need to get someone with Psynergy to get him out."

Unfortunately, just then another wave washed over the boy and when it was gone there was no sign of him. His parents and sister crowded together in their grief and Kagome stared at the place where her friend had been clinging just five seconds ago. _No,_ her mind kept repeating. _No, no, no._ She felt tears starting to fall when Felix's head popped back up out of the water. "He's still hanging in there," Kyle shouted. "He still needs an Adept to get him out of there, though."

"I'll go," Dora volunteered. "Jenna, you go to the plaza and see if anyone has any Psynergy left; I'll go to Mt. Aleph."

Kagome would've volunteered, but her feet were stuck to the pier. She knew she wouldn't be any help looking for an Adept; she would only be in the way. She felt Jenna and Dora's footsteps as they ran into the house and out the other side. Her eyes were locked on Felix, afraid that if she looked away even for a second, he would disappear and never come back to her.

It seemed like an eternity later, but in actuality was only fifteen minutes when she heard voices on the bank of the river. Quickly glancing over, she saw that Dora had returned empty-handed, but Jenna, Isaac, and Garet had found someone. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw them approach the house, but then they stopped. Faintly she could hear voices, but their words were being carried away by the wind. She ignored it until she felt the ground shake. Surprised, she gave the area a quick scan, but there wasn't anything she could see that was doing it. As she looked, the ground shook again. The people still on the bank of the river were shouting and gesturing to them, but she couldn't make sense of what they were saying. Vaguely she felt Eric, Arianna, and Kyle on either side of her and sensed their confusion also. A shadow fell over the dock even though it was too dark for there to be one cast. They looked up and saw Mt. Aleph's boulder right over them.

_I'm going to die, _she thought dumbly. _I never did get to say good-bye to Inuyasha or the rest of my friends and family. I'm sorry. Inuyasha…_Darkness overcame her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, my peoples, I remembered today that school starts next Monday. Yes, it's sad, I know. Once it starts, it's very unlikely that I'll be able to update every day; it'll probably be more like every weekend, and that'll be if I'm lucky. So…if you are very good, and my computer doesn't pull any fast ones on me, I can maybe put up two chapters on Sunday. You'll have to tell me you want me to put them up, though.**

**Savinglifelessness: too true, she doesn't die. It'd be a really short story if she died after only 23 pages. If you're intent on her dying, I might be able to put something in…nah, I can't do that to her.**

**Musashi the Master: what is Mew Mew Power? I can't say I've ever heard of it before. Do you have a penname? Maybe I'll check out your story sometime. And friends are nice. Anyone who reviews is my friend.**

**Wildfire Dreams: yup, she gets to be rescued along with the rest of them. Don't worry; she isn't going to betray Inuyasha just yet. She's very loyal; why else would she stay with him instead of going with Koga, who adores the ground she walks on?**

&&

When she came to, the first thing she noticed was that she could hear waves. _Am I dead?_ She wondered. Opening her eyes, she saw a pair of red ones looking into her own. She squeaked and tried to back away, but couldn't even sit up. "I'm glad you're awake," the voice of a woman said.

"Wh-where am I?" she asked aloud.

"You're on our ship, heading back with us to Prox," the woman answered.

Kagome blinked, then took a closer look at the woman. Her skin was light pink, nearly white, and her face was white with strange markings. Her eyes were as red as the ones that belonged to the thing that came to Vale before the boulder fell. And then there were her ears… This woman was a demon of some sort. "What do you want?" she demanded, squirming to get away from the demon woman.

She leaned back. "I want you to get better," she answered kindly. "Everyone else healed quite nicely. You were my problem child."

She leaned forward, but Kagome tried to get away again. "Stay away from me, demon," she shouted.

The demon jerked back in surprise. "That's new," she said, nonplussed. "I've been called many things, but a demon, and to my face, that's something new. I'm no demon, child. I'm a Proxian, and my name is Menardi."

_She doesn't seem to have a demon's aura, now that I think about it._ "I'm Kagome," she said hesitantly.

Menardi smiled. "I'm glad to formally meet you, Kagome. You've been unconscious ever since we picked you up by the riverside."

Her memory kicked in. "Were there others? A boy about my age? How about adults? Were there any adults?"

"Slow down, Kagome," Menardi laughed. "Yes, there were adults, three of them, and a boy. I believe they were the only ones who fell in the river besides yourself."

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. "So they're fine?"

Menardi nodded. "They are on deck with Saturos right now. As soon as you have enough strength, you too can go up, but until you can walk, you must stay here."

Menardi was better than her word. She wouldn't let her go up until she could walk around the cabin without falling, and that wasn't for a number of days. But it wasn't all that bad. The Valeans came and kept her company; Felix was ecstatic that she was awake and could talk to him. Once she was allowed on deck, she stayed up there as much as she could.

"It's getting colder," she commented to Felix as they watched the land of Hesperia pass by.

"We're getting farther north," he responded.

They were silent for a while, then, "You know, I've never seen Saturos. Where is he?"

The boy laughed. "He didn't take a liking to the sea. He's probably in his cabin, wishing he was dead."

"He's seasick?"

"Yup."

"Why is that?"

"He and Menardi are aligned with Mars, the element of fire, so this is most likely killing him, or else he's just caught a bug."

"Poor guy. Wait a minute! Why is Menardi fine, but he's seasick?"

He shrugged. "Who knows?"

At that moment Eric called Felix down, so he took his leave of her and went belowdecks. Alone, she looked out over the ocean, feeling the salty breeze blow.

"It's nice, isn't it?" an unfamiliar voice asked from behind her.

She whipped around and saw…the creature from Vale. His burning red eyes locked onto hers. Still, that didn't mean she didn't notice his blue skin, pale blue face, or his long ears, like Menardi's. He smiled. "The sea, it's nice, isn't it? When it isn't making you sick, I mean."

She nodded, afraid to speak. This was the man who threatened the Healer and the mayor; who was to say that he wouldn't tear her apart? _Inuyasha, I need you._

He stumbled over to the rail, making sure to keep a three-foot distance between them. Looking out at the sea, he half-smiled. "You're afraid of me, aren't you?"

"You threatened the Healer and the mayor," she blurted out before she could stop herself.

He sucked in his breath. "Menardi lost her temper," he said ruefully. "She felt terrible about it later."

"Menardi did that?" The image of the woman who had befriended her threatening either person of power was almost beyond her imagination. Almost.

He sighed. "That whole trip was a failure. All we did was lose good men's lives." His voice took on a bitter cast. "I failed. They were depending on me, and I failed."

Despite her first impression of him, she felt sympathetic. "I'm sure it's reparable," she said soothingly.

He looked over at her. "Maybe," he said mockingly, though it was more like he was mocking himself, rather than her.

Arianna came up then and when she saw Kagome talking to Saturos with no other Valean around, she very quickly walked over and said she needed Kagome for something. She agreed to go with her, and did after saying good-bye to Saturos, as it was only polite to do.

After that, she was told to never be near either Proxian without another Valean nearby, preferably an adult. She didn't see the point of that, but she agreed anyway. It didn't matter; Felix was almost always with her, so she could chat with either Menardi or Saturos and not feel guilty. She still felt edgy around Saturos, but then again, so did everyone else; even Menardi would tread carefully at times. Still, most of the time he was actually a good companion. When he wasn't stuck in his cabin from seasickness, that is.

Saturos, Kagome, Felix, and Menardi were all on deck, just watching the waves. Saturos was well enough that day to steer the ship away from the icebergs that seemingly appeared overnight, but he wasn't too distracted to speak to them.

"You were a scholar?" Felix asked incredulously, repeating what Saturos just told them.

He laughed. "You sound so surprised," he said. "Is it that hard to believe?"

"Yes," Kagome replied, emphasizing that one word and nodding her head. "Look at you. You're built like a fighter; how could you ever have been a scholar? It takes years to build up those kinds of muscles."

"It did take years to build this up, but before I started training, I read every chance I got. Even during training, I still read when I wasn't doing anything else. I do it now, too."

"Saturos, how did you learn about the Elemental Stars?" Felix asked.

The man grew thoughtful. "I don't really remember," he confessed. "It's in the old scrolls in Prox, but since we live near Mars Lighthouse, we always knew about their existence."

"There are Lighthouses in Angara, but we were raised to believe that the Elemental Stars were a myth, not something real."

The man laughed and companionably threw an arm around the boy, keeping one hand on the wheel. "I can understand that, considering how hard your elders insisted that they didn't exist. At first I didn't think they were serious. I guess they don't have the old scrolls that mentioned the Elemental Stars and how they did reside in the Lighthouses at one point in time."

"Saturos, look!" Menardi cried, pointing north.

The blue-skinned man's gaze followed her finger, and he grinned. "We're almost there, children," he announced. "Go alert your elders; it won't be long now."

When they docked, none of them could see a town nearby, just a land of white snow. When the Proxians shouldered their packs and started out, Arianna spoke up. "There is no town near here. We'll freeze to death, even with these heavy coats."

"Stay close to us," Menardi instructed. "We're Mars Adepts, so we give off heat."

"I'm a Mars Adept, too," she pointed out.

"But you're not a Proxian," Saturos pointed out. "We were born and raised in this weather. Stay close to us, and we won't let you freeze."

The rest of them didn't have a choice, so they picked up their packs and trudged after the two Proxians. The wind wasn't strong, but the longer they walked, the more obvious it became that some of them weren't going to be able to make the trip. The adults kept going with steely resolve, but Felix and Kagome were struggling. Kagome was used to traveling due to her experiences with Inuyasha, but she wasn't as experienced in the snow, and poor Felix didn't even have what she did. He was the first to fall and not get back up. He tried to, as he had before, but he couldn't find the strength.

"Get up," Kagome urged him, kneeling beside him. "You can do this."

"I'm sorry, Kagome," he replied weakly. "I don't have anything left."

"Saturos!" she yelled, getting the man's attention.

"What's wrong?" he asked, walking back to them.

"Felix is at the end of his strength," she explained quickly. "He can't go any further."

"Yes, he can," Saturos said grimly. Reaching down, he picked up the now unconscious boy with one hand and put him over his shoulder.

"Hurry, we need to get there soon, or he'll get frostbite," Menardi said. "I can keep it at bay without him conscious, but only for so long."

They were only able to go for a few more kilometers before Kagome succumbed to the cold. Saturos was about to pick her up as well, but Menardi stopped him. "I'll take her," she said. "If you take them both, then we'll only be going that much slower, and these children need more warmth than we can give them."

Unlike Felix, though, Kagome was still awake, and wishing that she wasn't. The cold was biting, and she couldn't feel her limbs anymore, never mind what was attached to said limbs. She kept her eyes closed since it hurt to keep them open. _I really wish I had that haori right now. I know it repels fire, but it does a good job at keeping heat inside, too._

"There it is," she heard Saturos say. "You're almost there. Soon you can rest."

There was a definite increase in the pace. The Valeans were jogging after the Proxians, and as soon as Kagome found the strength to open her eyes, she saw that they had passed the village gates, and now were close to warmth. Relief flooded her veins. _To be warm again…_

"Puelle, we have need of a healer," Saturos said to someone she couldn't see, as she was looking behind them and he was addressing someone in front of him.

She was put onto a bed, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Saturos put Felix onto the one next to hers. An old man came running into the room and stopped by Kagome's bed. "She's awake," he said in surprise. "That's a good sign." He did something, and she felt energy and warmth flowing through her. Then he left and went to Felix. "This boy will need more care," he said, sitting down in a chair next to the bed.

For some reason she felt very sleepy. It was like in order to heal her, the man had used her own strength. That was all she had time to think before she fell into the depths of healing sleep.

&&

"What happened?" Puelle asked. "I didn't know we were taking hostages. This must mean things went badly."

"Worse than bad," said Saturos, looking down at his snow-covered boots. "The elders of Vale don't even believe that the Elemental Stars exist. They wouldn't give us permission to go into Mt. Aleph to look, so we had to sneak in."

"That's where we made our mistake," Menardi took up the tale. "We were able to make it into the main chambers of Sol and Luna, but there was a trap, and we set it off. We are the only ones who survived."

They all bowed their heads down. "They were good men," Puelle said softly.

"They were," Saturos agreed. "Unfortunately, the only thing we found out was the elders don't know what they're guarding in Mt. Aleph, and there's a trap to make sure that people like us don't get near it."

"Don't say people like us," Puelle reprimanded him. "We are going to use them to restore Alchemy to the world so our people don't die."

"How far has Gaia Falls eroded the land now?" Saturos asked.

"In the past month, it's been speeding up. We're now down another 3 yards."

Saturos gasped. "That much in so short a time? If we don't hurry, Gaia Falls will erode Prox and Mars Lighthouse, and there won't be a chance of stopping the world's erosion once the Lighthouse is gone."

"I had hoped that the elders of Vale would cooperate in sight of our dilemma, but you've just proven that to be a false hope. We'll have to try again later."

"Yes, Puelle," Menardi and Saturos said, getting up and leaving.

"Saturos, how did you know about the erosion?" Menardi asked as the left the main building.

"I helped measure the amount that was gone before I started training to be a fighter," he answered her.

"But isn't that dangerous? What if you fell over the edge?"

He shrugged. "It's dangerous, yes, but so is getting out of bed each morning. I've been more informed than most people because I was brought up to know these things. I was raised by a scholar, after all."

She smiled. "It's good to be home," she remarked, changing the subject. "I need to get home; Karst is probably worrying about something bad happening to me."

"She adores you," he said. "You're her older sister, and her idol. Of course she'll be worried."

"I will see you later, I guess," she said.

He nodded. "Feel free to drop by anytime. I'm never swamped with visitors, so it would be a welcome change to have someone to talk to other than another scholar."

Menardi went one way, and Saturos took the path that led to the house he shared with the man who raised him, Ralom. "Is anyone here?" Saturos called, looking around.

"Is that Saturos?" Ralom's voice floated down from upstairs.

"Yes, we're back."

"Did they give you the Elemental Stars?"

He sighed. "Quite the opposite. They refuse to believe that the Elemental Stars even exist, and while we were looking for them, we lost everyone except myself and Menardi." He flopped down on one of the couches.

Silence. "Everyone?"

"Everyone."

Ralom came down the stairs. "That is very distressing, Saturos," he said. "Gaia Falls won't stop tearing away at Weyard just because some people believe that the Elemental Stars don't exist. Of course they exist! Why else would the Lighthouses be here?"

"I have a feeling their records were destroyed once the Elemental Stars were hidden," Saturos said thoughtfully. "In one of the scrolls I've read on the top shelf over there," he indicated to the second bookshelf on the right wall, "it said that once the Adepts agreed to hide the Stars, they destroyed most of the evidence that they ever existed so no one would try to find them and relight the Lighthouses."

"I believe you," Ralom said, his tone turning teasing, "but, Saturos, don't say 'one of the scrolls I've read'. You've read every single piece of writing in this house, so saying 'something I've read' means absolutely nothing to me now."

Saturos grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I'll keep that in mind."

"Anyway, it's late, and I know you must be tired because I am, and you've just hiked all the way back here from the dock. Good night."

"Good night," he called after him. Getting up, he got his bag and trudged up the steps and down the hall to his room. Throwing it into a corner, he removed his armor and set it in its proper place before sitting down at the edge of the bed.

His red eyes scoured his reflection in the mirror. His long, silvery-blue hair was getting a little _too_ long; it would have to be cut very soon, or Menardi's mother would have a fit. It wasn't fair, really; Menardi's blonde hair was down around her waist, and his hair wasn't even to his shoulders. It looked shorter than it was since it was all thrown to the right, but her mother still made an issue of it.

He thought about what Kagome had said back at the ship. _You're built like a fighter._ Looking in the mirror, he still didn't see a fighter, just a regular scholar of a boy. He was more muscular than an average scholar, he would give himself that, but Agatio was much bigger than he was, and he was quite a few years younger than Saturos.

Being a scholar wasn't all that bad, though. That's why they chose him to be the ambassador to Vale; he used his head. Granted, he didn't use it very well, and now they still didn't have the Elemental Stars, but who would've thought that the Valeans would be so uncooperative? This was their world, too!

He shook his head._ Reviewing the stupidity of others isn't going to help me at all. Sleep is the best thing for me, then I need to do some more research. I suppose I'll also need to check in on the Valeans. _He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes, still worrying about what they were going to do with their unexpected burdens.

&&


	10. Chapter 10

**Alrighty, I'm back and giving y'all another update. Yes, I know you're all so happy about that. I would've done it earlier today, but "Band Session 2" ended about an hour and a half ago, and then there was a thunderstorm and the power went out. But at least I'm updating now, right?**

**Musashi the Master: At 8:00 I'm getting ready to leave for the "Band Session", so any TV-watching is out of the question. I'm an RPG, Inuyasha, and YYH fan; band doesn't give me enough time for anything else. Come to think of it, it sometimes doesn't leave me time for those, either. You have a good story idea, but I only have time for so much, and I know nothing about any of those things you suggested except Inuyasha. As for Saturos and Menardi…that's just my interpretation of it. In "The Lost Age", if you talk to the Proxians, I think they tell of a different side of them. The Proxians liked Saturos and Menardi, and they also gave Felix's parents and Kyle a place to stay.**

**Savinglifelessness: She's with him right now, but I won't be going through the entire journey. Besides, there's still three years to kill before they go back to Vale to challenge Sol Sanctum again. And I already know the Golden Sun story, and I'm sure you do, too. I don't think I need to write it out in its entirety. Still, this is going to be a pretty long story; this chapter plus the others will take up 32 pages out of 123. If you don't like long stories, then this probably isn't going to be one of your top ten. Sorry if you thought it was going to be short.**

**SphereShadow: Thanks for reviewing. It's always nice to get positive feedback. I hope you don't get turned off by long stories.**

&&

Things changed drastically for the Valeans over the next three weeks. They were moved to their own home at the edge of Prox so no one would bother them. Saturos and Menardi would occasionally visit them, making sure they had everything they needed. Things turned a little sour when Kyle asked when they were allowed to return to Vale.

"You can't go back yet," Saturos answered when he was asked.

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"You won't be able to return until the Lighthouses are relit," Menardi said.

"You can't light the Lighthouses," Arianna declared. "You need the Elemental Stars, and they don't exist."

"The Lighthouses were lit sometime in the past, so it's possible for them to be relit. We just need the Elemental Stars."

"And that's why you went to Vale," Kyle stated.

"That's where we _think_ they are. Everything we've read points at Mt. Aleph, but it could be held in one of the Lighthouses themselves."

"Did you check the Lighthouses yet?"

"Mars Lighthouse and Jupiter Lighthouse," Menardi answered. "They weren't there. We couldn't actually enter Jupiter Lighthouse, but we read what the walls said."

"You do realize what you're doing is dangerous," Eric spoke up. "If the Lighthouses are lit, then they will destroy the world."

Saturos nodded. "There is that possibility," he conceded, "but if we do nothing, then Weyard will slowly destroy itself, and it's been speeding up for some time now. I'd rather have a chance at life rather than do nothing and accept the destruction of Weyard."

"I can't say I agree that it will save Weyard," Kyle started, but Saturos was nodding.

"I didn't think you would," he assured the man. "The teachings of Vale say that the end of the world will come if the Lighthouses shine once more. I don't agree with that any more than you agree with my beliefs, but I'm going to act on mine."

"The elders won't let you," Arianna quickly asserted.

Saturos laughed without humor. "They didn't let us last time, either. That didn't stop us from entering the inner chambers of the mountain." He stood up. "I have more research to do, so I have to leave."

"I also have work to do," Menardi said, rising with her partner. "If you need anything, you know where Puelle's home is."

The two Proxians left quickly. "Now they can't leave because they know too much," Menardi muttered. "Why did you tell them all that?"

"They deserve to know their fate," Saturos answered. "They couldn't leave anyway, so I thought they'd appreciate knowing what's going to happen if the Lighthouses they guard so well aren't lit."

"They've believed in Vale's teachings too long for them to change their ways now."

"I know," he sighed. "There's nothing we can do about that now, but the children, Felix and Kagome, will be easier to change to our way of thinking."

A small Proxian waved her arms wildly at them. "Menardi, Mother says you need to come home for dinner," Karst called, running up to the pair.

"I'm coming," Menardi told her, walking away with her younger sister. "See you in the practice ring tomorrow?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Count on it," Saturos promised. He continued walking to his home and was very surprised when the second he walked in the door, Puelle was standing in front of him. "Can I help you?" he asked politely to cover his confusion.

"It's about the Valeans," Puelle said, not beating around the bush. "Have you spoken with them?"

"Yes, just now. Why?"

"I think we will need their cooperation if we are to succeed in seeing the light shining in the Lighthouses again."

Saturos shook his head, thinking of his conversation with them. "They'll never help us. Their beliefs are too ingrained in them."

"But not in the younglings."

_Wasn't I just talking about this with Menardi?_ "I suppose," he said slowly.

"They will need a mentor."

Saturos didn't like the way this was heading. "If they are to learn our beliefs, then I think you are correct."

"They couldn't stay with their parents; all our work would be undone then. I'd like for them to stay with someone they know."

_I knew this was going to happen. There goes my freedom._ He heaved a sigh. "I'll take Felix," he said.

"They must stay together," Puelle insisted. "That way they'll learn much faster, and they'll be easier to handle when they're separated from their parents."

Saturos backed up. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I can take one, but I don't know if I can handle both of them. I have no experience with children."

"Now's your chance to learn," Puelle said cheerfully. "They'll probably be upset at first, but they'll get used to you."

"Puelle, I know nothing about children, much less a female one. I may be able to handle Felix, but Kagome is a bit beyond me."

"Menardi can advise you. Now, we'll go and get your charges now. I just wanted to warn you before they showed up on your doorstep."

"So you knew they'd be staying with me," Saturos stated.

"You are the only person who can pull this off since Menardi has a mother and younger sister to look after, and you live here mostly by yourself."

"Ralom lives here."

"He's gone most of the time nowadays. You are the best person for the job. Now, I'll go get them. Be prepared for scared and upset children. I'll be right back."

"This is just great," he moaned when Puelle had left. "Now I need to go prepare two of those extra rooms." Using his Psynergy, he started the fires in the grates and searched the closets for blankets. Once the beds were made, he went upstairs to find one of the scrolls he was currently deciphering. Finding the scroll, he brought it downstairs and settled onto the couch to read and wait for Puelle. He became so engrossed in the hidden messages of the scroll that he lost track of time and was startled when he heard a knock on the door. With the scroll in hand, he opened the door and saw Puelle with the two children, both looking more upset than he thought they'd be.

"Here they are," Puelle said unnecessarily, then left, leaving Saturos with two distressed children. Naturally, Saturos was on the edge of hysteria himself, which didn't help the two children.

"Um, come in," he said, stepping back so they could enter. They hesitantly walked in.

"Why aren't we allowed to see the others?" Kagome asked him.

"Because Puelle said so," Saturos said. "And you are allowed to see them at times, just not every day. I'll take you to your rooms; it's late, and I'm sure you two are tired."

They followed him and went into the rooms he indicated without seeming to be aware of what they were doing. "My room is over there if you need anything," he said, waving his hand in the general direction of his room.

Leaving them to do as they wished, he went to his room and started working on the scroll again. Hours passed, and the scroll enraptured him again so he almost didn't hear the knock at his door. "Come in," he called absently, not looking up. He was surprised when he heard Felix's voice; he had been expecting Ralom, not the child. "What can I do for you?" he asked the boy.

"Are there any spare blankets around?" he asked hesitantly. "Kagome and I looked, but we couldn't find any."

He thought hard about where Ralom would keep the blankets, but came up with a blank; he'd already put all of them in their rooms. "I think you already have all the spare blankets," Saturos answered him. "Is it really that cold out there?"

The boy nodded. "It's fine," he assured Saturos, though the man could see he was lying.

"No, this won't do," Saturos contradicted him. "Wait here." The boy did as he was told while Saturos left to find Kagome. "Come with me," he commanded. She followed him as he gathered all the blankets off the beds and had her carry the pillows. He reentered his room with Kagome on his heels. Throwing his burden onto the bed, he turned to them and said, "You two can sleep in here tonight. It's the warmest room in the house right now, so you should sleep comfortably." He picked up his scroll and started to exit the room when Felix stopped him.

"Where will you stay?" he asked.

"Upstairs," he answered.

"We couldn't throw you out of your room," Kagome said, standing by Felix.

Saturos smiled at them. "It'll be fine," he assured them. "You need the heat more than I do." He sidestepped them and left, taking the steps two at a time. Arriving at the top, he looked at his clock and did a double take. _It can't be that late! Menardi is going to cream me tomorrow, no, today, if I don't get some sleep._ Unfortunately, the scroll was calling him, and he was unable to resist its call. Propping his feet on the table, he sat back against the cushy chair and buried himself in its contents.

He was not expecting to find that the first thing he saw when he woke up was Menardi standing over him. "How did you get in here?" he asked, trying to sit up properly and failing because his whole body was stiff.

"I let myself in," she answered, looking down at him. "Do you know what time it is?"

"No," he answered, stretching in the chair, trying to get rid of the kinks in his body.

"It's now 11:50 in the morning," she informed him. "You were supposed to be at the practice ring four hours ago. When you didn't show up, I came by to see if something happened. You didn't tell me that the children were staying with you." Her tone became accusatory.

"I didn't know until I got home, which was when I saw Puelle and he told me."

"Anyway, I came in and saw them up. You didn't tell them where the food was, so I took some things out of your pantry and gave it to them. Really, Saturos, you should've at least fed them."

"You weren't the one who was kicked out of your room because they were cold," he retorted grumpily. "Besides, I didn't know I'd sleep this late. Thank you for feeding them, though. Where's Ralom?"

"Gone, I suppose. I didn't see him."

He stood up and, with her supporting him, made his way to the stairs. "I think I'm okay now," he said, taking his arm off her shoulder.

"Are you sure?" she asked in concern.

"Yes," he assured her. She followed him down the stairs and to the pantry. "Would you like anything?" he asked her while he rummaged through the food.

"No, I'm fine," she said, watching him. "Why are the children with you?"

"Puelle wants me to teach them our way of thinking. The girl, Kagome, doesn't seem to have any Psynergetic ability, but she can help with Felix. He's the one we need the most. Puelle thought it would be best if we didn't separate them. Where are they, by the way?"

"In the living area," she answered. "I put them there since I didn't think you'd want them messing with your scrolls." She knew how attached he was to his scrolls.

"You have my eternal gratitude," he said, locating something he felt like eating.

"But not your love?" she asked teasingly.

He let out his breath in amusement. "Of course, my love as well," he grinned, grabbing her wrist and pulling her against him.

She wasn't expecting this, but apparently was willing to play along. "That's good to know," she said, hooking her hands behind his neck.

"Really?" Leaving the food in the pantry, Saturos put his arms around her waist.

"Really." Then Menardi took it a step farther. Moving quickly, she captured his lips with hers. It was meant to be fast and playful, but for some reason neither of them was willing to end it. She leaned into him, deepening the kiss. Eventually they did come apart.

"What was that for?" he asked a now blushing Menardi.

"For being you," she replied impishly.

He laughed and reached into the pantry for his food again. "I should probably check on the younglings," he told her.

"I'll go with you," she volunteered.

They walked through the rooms to join Saturos' young charges.

&&


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, peoples, there's a thunderstorm going on right now, I need to make this semi-quick. Yeah, thunderstorms are to be expected when it's summer and you live in Florida. It does get kinda annoying when you're trying to update your stories for your readers, though.**

**Musashi the Master: I did read your review on Mew Mew Power _and_ looked it up on the Internet. I actually had time today. It doesn't seem like something I would write about, though. The Japanese theme is saving the environment, and I don't think I'd be any good at writing about that. And you idea of writing together…it's not something I've done before. I tend to work alone because if I have a partner for something, I end up letting them do all the work. I am naturally a lazy person, and if I work with someone else, they'll be the one hauling both loads. I guess you could say I'm not a team player. I can still offer advice at times if you need it, though.**

**Wildfire Dreams: It is a bit sad if you think of them in that light. You could believe that they were monsters through and through, like they were portrayed in the game, and that makes it less sad that they died. I just think they were pushed a little over the edge; their homes and families were depending on them to light the Lighthouses, and here were these children barring their way. If they didn't hurry, then their families would die. In that light, I can see why they would be so mean to Isaac and his group.**

**Savinglifelessness: Yay! You like long stories! I was afraid I was going to lose you. Nope, I don't plan on changing the story. In fact, I don't plan on talking about the story much at all. Most of this is going to take place after the Lighthouses are lit. Unfortunately, there's not going to be any more Saturos/Menardi moments in here. Maybe a different story…**

&&

In the months that Felix and Kagome stayed with Saturos, they grew accustomed to him and he to them. He taught them the Proxians' way of thinking and demonstrated why they thought that way. Every week he would take them to the edge of Gaia Falls to measure how much of their world was being taken away. It didn't seem like much, but when he told them how little was lost in earlier years and in how much time, they quickly became believers. He even took them on a trip to Hesperia to examine the Lighthouse. The Valean adults weren't thrilled when they heard about that, but they didn't know until they came back. And of course, Saturos took them to Mars Lighthouse. They couldn't find their way to the top, but the part they did examine was fascinating.

Kagome and Felix were trying their luck at deciphering some of Saturos' prized scrolls while he was out in the practice ring with Menardi. "You know, I never would've thought Saturos could be so nice," Kagome commented.

"Why is that?" Felix asked distractedly.

"When we first saw him, he looked so strange, and he threatened the elders. Then he took us in when Puelle said we needed someone to show us why the Lighthouses needed to be lit. Now he's like our brother."

Felix looked up from his scroll. "He's come a long way. He didn't know the first thing about caring for younger people, remember?"

She laughed, recalling the look on his face when Puelle left them alone. "He's such a nice person. He wasn't kidding when he said he was the scholarly type, though. He's still stronger than we are, and he does train, but he literally does read every chance he gets. Not that it's a bad thing."

Kagome stood and set her scroll aside. "I need to stretch a bit," she announced. "If I don't come back before Saturos, will you tell him I've gone out?"

"Sure," he replied. "When do you plan on coming back? It's cold outside."

"It's always cold outside," she retorted. "I don't know how long I'll be out. Not too long, I think."

She grabbed her fur coat and walked out into the snow. Waving to some of the people who were familiar to her, she turned her feet to the track that would lead her to Gaia Falls. She knew it was dangerous to go there by herself, but she didn't plan on going into the water; she would just watch the endless waterfall at the edge of this world.

Thoughts of her old life came unbidden to her mind. She had basically given up hope that she would be taken back to her own world. _Do they miss me? Do they even know I'm missing? Is Inuyasha worried about me? No, he probably convinced Kikyo to travel with them and be his shard detector. I'm only a copy of her, after all._

It was cold enough for water to freeze; actually, it was well below that level, but Gaia Falls still kept moving. The water must be moving too fast to freeze solid. Kagome watched it tumble over the edge into…nothing. This was the danger that threatened all of Weyard. So far only the Proxians were interested in stopping this menace. _The Valeans should help; everyone should help. Saturos showed us so much; if only everyone else knew what we know and see what we see._

"Kagome," a voice said behind her.

She spun around. "Who's there?" she demanded, holding her coat close.

"You know me, child," the voice said. "Come toward me."

Feeling compelled to obey, she did as she was told and quite suddenly came face to face with the floating eye that first brought her to Weyard. "What are you doing here?" she asked nervously, afraid she knew the answer.

"There is no more threat to the Elemental Stars for now," the thing answered her. "There may never be again."

"What about Saturos and the other Proxians? They will never stop looking for them."

"They will be punished in due time. For now, it's time for you to go home."

"Wait, I haven't said good-bye or anything. Please can I tell them?" she pleaded desperately.

"I'm afraid not. You are leaving now."

Everything faded together is swirling bright colors. She felt like she was being suspended in nothing. _NOOOOOOO! I didn't get to say good-bye to them! I'm sorry, everyone._

When she came to, she was in the exact spot where the eye had taken her to Weyard. _I'm home,_ she thought numbly. _I'm finally home._

---Three Years Later---

"Inuyasha, look out!" Kagome shouted at the hanyou when she saw Naraku's tentacles about to pierce his back.

He leaped out of the way and severed them from the rest of Naraku. "Thanks," he called over his shoulder.

She didn't answer, focusing instead on the demons coming at her and Shippo and exterminating them. It had been three years since she left Weyard. Only a few hours had passed in her world the entire time she was gone, and after a while, she thought it was a dream. Later, she forgot about it entirely. Now she and her friends were in the final battle with Naraku. They knew they would probably die in battle, but they would stop the half-demon; this had been their goal for over three years now.

"Die, Naraku!" she heard Inuyasha yell. Glancing over, she saw him take on Naraku himself.

_Be careful, Inuyasha,_ she thought.

"Miroku!" she heard Sango scream. Kagome looked over just in time to see the monk fall, his staff split in two, and tentacles going completely through his body. Sango went berserk, swinging her Hiraikotsu left and right. Recklessly going into the thick of things, the demon slayer was taking out twice as many demons as before, but she also left herself open to attack.

"Sango, no!" Kagome shrieked, trying to make a path through the demons with her arrows, but it was too late; one demon got in a lucky shot and had put a clawed hand completely through her stomach. She took that one out, but another demon sliced her back open. She went down next to her beloved monk, a smile on her lips.

"No." Kagome denied what had just happened. "We lost them both." With rage fueling her power, she shot into the demon horde again, her arrows going farther and destroying more demons than before. However, there were too many of them to defeat by herself. Whenever she purified a row of them, more came to take the places of the fallen.

Then Shippo started throwing his fire into the demons' midst. Koga and his wolf demons ravaged them on the other side, and Sesshomaru sliced through more with the re-forged Tenseiga. Everyone was doing their part to take down Naraku. With their help, the demon horde dwindled.

A demon crept up behind Shippo, but he was too busy to notice, and Kagome was now too far to warn him. She watched with horror as the demon reared back and struck at her son. Right before the demon swallowed the young fox demon, Kirara leaped down and sank her jaws into the demon's neck. The demon shrieked and swung its head violently around, trying to dislodge the kaneko. After one particularly hard swing, Kirara went flying into the ground, stunned. The demon's head whipped down and snapped the valiant kaneko in two.

Shippo watched the whole thing and went nuts when he saw what happened to Kirara. He started hurling fire in a frenzy. Kagome tried to make her way back over to him, afraid he would tire and have no protection against the attacking demons. She didn't make it in time. She was about a quarter of the way to where he was when she saw a crow demon come at him from above and snatch him right off the ground. In the air, it ripped him into pieces.

"Shippo!" she cried. Tears filling her eyes, she turned and saw Koga get picked up by one of the Birds of Paradise, the mortal enemies of the wolf demons. She aimed and fired an arrow at it and managed to incinerate it. As Koga dropped, a snake demon shot up from the throng and swallowed him.

Kagome watched, horrified, as the snake demon absorbed the Jewel Shards in his legs. _Koga…_ Burning with anger, she fired her arrows once again into the demons and watched them disappear. She shot a path to the snake demon and used her hands to purify it, not bothering with arrows. Once it disappeared, she took its Jewel Shards and put it in one of her pockets.

Now she could clearly see Inuyasha and Naraku. Both looked like they'd taken a beating, but neither of them was ready to give up. Looking at the fighters still fighting on their side, Kagome figured they didn't need her as much and ran towards Inuyasha. As she ran, she saw one of Naraku's tentacles get behind the other hanyou and wrapped itself around his neck. Breaking off his attack, Inuyasha's hands went to his neck, but were unable to loosen its grasp. Kagome fired one of her few remaining arrows and broke off the tentacle. Gasping, Inuyasha quickly got back on his feet and brought the Tetsusaiga back to an attack position. "Stay back, Kagome," he ordered, not taking his eyes off Naraku.

"You don't want the woman in danger?" Naraku asked condescendingly. "You really are weak."

"We'll see who's weak!" the hanyou retorted. "Now die!"

They exchanged blows again. Inuyasha used his Kongo Souha and got lucky; the flying crystals distracted Naraku when he fired off his miasma, so he didn't see Inuyasha use the Backlash Wave until it was too late. There was a surprised look on his face as well as disbelief when Inuyasha slammed into him. The resulting light was so intense that Kagome had to shield her eyes and turn away.

Looking back, she saw no Naraku, but no Inuyasha, either. Scanning the surrounding area, she located the downed hanyou a few yards away. She ran to him and knelt by his head. "Inuyasha?" she whispered hesitantly.

He opened his eyes and gave her a small smile. "Did I do it?" he asked weakly.

She nodded, tears running down her face. "Yes, you did it; Naraku is finally defeated."

"That's good to know." He closed his eyes and his breathing became shallow.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong? Please tell me, and I'll heal you." Kagome's voice became desperate as his face grew very pale.

"I'm sorry, Kagome, but I think this is it for me," he said hoarsely.

She shook her head. "No, I can heal you," she declared. "Please don't leave me, Inuyasha. I love you!"

"I love you, too, Kagome," he said, his eyes growing glassy. "I'll always love you, and I'll always be there for you in spirit. But please keep living; don't waste away. Find someone else who can return your love. If things had gone differently, I could've done that, but it's too late now. Good bye." He closed his eyes and breath left his lungs.

"Inuyasha. NO!" She screamed and sobbed bitterly, holding his still body close to her, unaware that the battle had ended with Naraku's death, and the demons had drifted away. She didn't care. Everyone close to her was dead, as was the love of her life.

How long she stayed there, sobbing, she didn't know. When she finally realized where she was, it was already dark. It was too late to find the bodies of her friends, so she lay down beside her dead love and waited for sleep to claim her. She knew it was dangerous, but it didn't matter if she died now; that way she could be with her friends.

In the morning, she woke, hoping that yesterday was a dream. That hope was dashed the moment she saw Inuyasha. Fresh tears filled her eyes, and she let them fall, not having the strength to stop them. That didn't stop her mind from functioning completely, though. Haltingly walking to where Naraku had been killed, she picked up the almost complete Shikon Jewel. Taking out the bottle containing her shards and the two from Koga, she added them to Naraku's piece and they all melded together, forming the complete jewel. A thought struck her. _I can wish them back to life!_

"It would not be wise to wish them back," a cold voice said behind her. It was Sesshomaru.

"What do you mean?" she demanded.

"I know what you are thinking, and it would not be wise," Inuyasha's older brother repeated. "That wish is not a pure one."

"Are you saying that wishing them back to life is selfish?" Kagome asked incredulously.

He nodded. "The dead should stay dead."

"Look who's talking," she shot back, throwing caution to the wind. "You brought back people with the Tenseiga, and you're lecturing me about how it's selfish?"

"You want them back more than anything, don't you?" She nodded. "You are doing this purely for yourself. Others won't die because my brother and his friends are dead. Therefore, it would be a selfish wish, and the Jewel would be tainted."

Reluctantly, she saw his point. "What do you suggest I do?" she asked desolately.

"Bury the dead and let them rest," he answered, turning on his heel. She watched him walk away with Rin and Jaken on his heels, presumably going back to the Western Lands.

She felt the Shikon no Tama pulsing. Looking down, she saw that it was glowing. It sank into her skin, rejoining her once again. She didn't think much about it, as she had something else she needed to do. Resigning herself to her task, she searched through the dead to find her friends. Of all of them, she could only find Sango and Miroku. Kirara, Shippo, and Koga were demons; their bodies disappeared once they died. Along with the bodies of Sango and Miroku, she took their favored weapons, Hiraikotsu and the shakujo.

It took most of the day to dig their graves, but she did, right under the Goshinboku. She even made graves for the unfound bodies; those graves would remain empty. Once buried, she leaned the weapons against the tree and gave in to her sorrow again. This was how Kaede found her.

The old woman understood what had happened at once. "They accomplished their goals," she comforted the distraught girl. "Naraku was defeated."

"I need to go home," Kagome said numbly. "I can't stay here. I'm sorry." She buried the locket she had given Inuyasha next to his gravestone.

Once again, the old priestess understood and hugged her good-bye, knowing it wasn't likely that she'd ever see the girl again. She walked with her back to the village where its residents were trickling in a little at a time. The entered Kaede's home, and Kagome got her bag. Taking one last look around, she left for the Bone Eater's Well in Inuyasha's Forest. Right before she jumped in, she silently said her final good-bye.

On the other side of the well, she could barely find the strength to get out. She struggled to open the doors that led to the outside. What she saw surprised her so much that she stopped dead in her tracks. Her house wasn't there!

Closing her eyes, she shook her head and looked again. It was still the same; her home simply wasn't there. _This isn't right._ Leaving her bag in the well house, she ran down the stairs to the street. "Excuse me," she said to a stranger, knowing she must look strange to him since she was dressed in the traditional attire of a Shinto priestess, "do you know what happened up there?" She pointed to where the Sunset Shrine had once stood.

"Yes, I do," he said. "Very tragic. There was a fire a few days ago, and it destroyed every building except for the old well house. I suppose that's bad enough, but the entire family perished in the flames; no one could get them out in time."

She stumbled up the steps, leaving the man looking after her. _They're dead. I'm alone now. What am I going to do?_ By her bag, she sank down and put her head in her arms._ What can I do now? I guess I could always go back to Kaede and help in the village as another priestess._

The unsettling feeling of being watched caused her to look up. And stare. Right in front of her was a rocky, floating eye. For some reason it seemed strangely familiar. "It's time to return, Kagome," the thing said.

"How do you know my name?" she asked.

"Have you forgotten the last time we met?" It answered her question with another.

"I think I would remember meeting a floating eye," she responded, too lost in her own grief to care about manners.

"The Elemental Stars have been taken, and now the Lighthouses are being lit," it explained. For some reason this triggered something in her memory. She remembered hearing about Elemental Stars and Lighthouses before, but it was long ago, and could only remember that she had heard of those things before, but not where or why. "You must come with me," the thing continued.

"Very well," she sighed, picking up her bag. _It'll get me away from here, at least, and it's something to do. Who knows? Maybe this will let me rejoin my family and friends._


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry it took so long to update today. I just didn't really feel like it earlier, so I'm doing it now. And, to make up for being lazy, I made it extra-long!**

**Savinglifelessness: Yes, Inuyasha is as dead as a rock; the only difference being a rock was never alive in the first place. As for Isaac or Felix, which one does she seem closer to?**

**Musashi the Master: They will be reunited, and yes, Sheba and Piers will be in this. She'll even meet them. Isn't that nice? I'm sure someone else out there has written a Golden Sun/Inuyasha crossover before. Then again, I could be wrong. I'm very happy you like the story, though. I like making people happy.**

**SphereShadow: It's good to know that I'll have someone willing to read this thing to the end. Hopefully you won't get bored by the middle. **

&&

Everything began to swirl together until there was nothing there she could recognize. When it stopped, she looked around incuriously. She was on top of some sort of building. "Go up the stairs," the eye commanded.

She obeyed, having no strength to argue. At the top there was a circle of statues surrounding a hole and floating and rotating over it was a…blue planet? "What is this?" she asked, momentarily distracted from her sorrow.

"The power of Mercury," it answered her. "This is why you're here."

"I don't understand."

"Touch it."

She approached the planet slowly. Looking at the long drop below it, she backpedaled. "I don't think I can get close enough."

"You will not fall if you are careful," the eye said mercilessly. "Touch it."

Gulping, she set her bag down by her feet and reached for the blue orb. Right before she felt herself fall, her hand made contact with the blue sphere. Instantly she felt like she had been drenched in the coldest mountain water. Then she was in a hot spring like the ones she would bathe in with Sango in the Feudal Era. Stopping that thought, she was then thrown into the sea and saw the animals that swam in it. She experienced every form of water there was, from the tiny raindrops that fell from the sky to the mighty ocean, where all manner of life made their homes.

Abruptly she was jerked out of whatever she had been in and was back at the Lighthouse Aerie. "What was that? What just happened?" she asked dazedly.

"That was the power of Mercury," the eye explained. "You just absorbed some of its power."

"Was that supposed to happen?"

"Yes. You will be absorbing power from the rest of the Lighthouses as well."

"Why?"

"There is a person by the name of Alex who wants all of Alchemy's power for himself. This must not happen! In order to prevent this, I brought you here to absorb some of the power so it won't go to him, and he won't be all-powerful."

"How do you suggest we get to the other Lighthouses?"

"The same way we came here," it answered patiently.

_The power of Mercury…The Lighthouses…This is Mercury Lighthouse! Like Jupiter and Mars Lighthouses! Just like Saturos said!_ This was the first breakthrough to remembering what this place was. Unfortunately, as soon as she thought it, she couldn't remember who Saturos was, nor could she recall how she knew this was like Mars and Jupiter Lighthouses. _This is so frustrating!_

"You must rest before we go on to the next Lighthouse," the eye informed her. "There is a village near here. I will take us to the bottom. Be back here at the bottom of the Lighthouse in three weeks."

Good as its word, it took them down. "Remember, three weeks." With that said, it disappeared.

"That's a big help. I don't even have any money," she muttered to herself. Looking to her left, all she saw was the ocean, so she tried going right. There was a path, so she followed it and came to the town the eye mentioned. _Imil, the town that guards Mercury Lighthouse. Wait, how did I know that?_ Upon entering the town, she approached an old man and said, "Excuse me, but do you know of a place I can stay?"

The old man stared at her and said politely, "I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're saying."

He didn't say it in Japanese, so she was shocked that she could understand it. Without meaning to, she answered in the same language. "Do you know of a place I can stay? I'm a traveler, and poor, I'm afraid."

"Why yes, the Sanctum is right over there." He pointed across the frozen river. "They won't turn away people in need."

She thanked him and cautiously skated over the solid water. Entering the Sanctum, she was astonished to see two children behind a stone table. "Can I help you?" the boy asked.

"I'm a poor traveler and looking for a place to stay," she stated.

"You're welcome in here," the girl. "We're still new at this since Mia, our former healer and teacher, just left, but make yourself at home and stay as long as you want."

"I need only stay for three weeks," she told them, "but I thank you for your hospitality."

She stayed in Imil the entire time, stocking up on things she would need, like food and clothing. She helped around the Sanctum and the town, and was rewarded with coins to buy what she needed. The clothes she wore weren't suited to the icy cold of Imil, so the first thing she bought was a warmer wardrobe. Next came the food. She bought enough to last her until she saw the eye and then some.

So, for three weeks, she worked and bought what she thought she would need in the days to come. On the last day, she left Imil and its friendly inhabitants and walked to the base of Mercury Lighthouse, where the eye was waiting for her.

"It's time to go on to the next one," it said.

_Venus Lighthouse._ The thought came unbidden to her mind, but like all the other thoughts, she couldn't recall where it came from.

The world swirled again, and they landed on top of the Venus Lighthouse Aerie. There was another planet surrounded by a circle of statues, but these ones held branches in their arms. "Do I have to do the same thing?" she asked.

"Yes," it answered. "You'll do the same thing to all of them."

Once again, the bag went down by her feet and she carefully balanced on the edge of the gaping chasm beneath the spinning brown planet. Instead of water, this time she was immersed in the earth. She experienced the growth of plants, felt the sun warm her during the day. The water from the sky nourished her and allowed her to grow. Without her, life would not exist. There was still death, but it was part of the natural cycle of life, and without death, the world would become overcrowded, so even death had a purpose.

It was much easier to come out of this trance than it was the water one. She opened her eyes and felt at peace with herself for the first time since her friends died. "Where now?" she asked.

"Now we head to Lalivero," the eye said. "It isn't far, but there are monsters between here and the town, so I will accompany you for a short time."

"I can take care of myself," she informed it. "I spent over three years fighting demons."

"Still, it is imperative that nothing happens to you," the eye said coolly. "I shall go with you until the gates of Lalivero are in sight."

"As you will," Kagome acquiesced.

They walked toward where this Lalivero city was supposed to lay. Actually, Kagome walked and the eye floated along, making sure that she didn't stray far from it. Like the eye said, they didn't travel very long until the towers of the city were seen, though it felt like hours because the weather was very warm, and Kagome was still wearing her furs from Imil.

"I will leave you now," the eye said. "This time it will be a week before we will leave for Jupiter Lighthouse. Make sure you have what you need. The weather will be like this place, but keep your coat and furs; you will need those later. I will come to you at the base of Babi lighthouse." It vanished.

She stumbled to the gate, extremely sweaty in the furs and coats from Imil. "Is there a place I can rest?" she gasped to the guards.

"You must have come a long way," one of them commented, noticing her heavy garments. "Are you from Imil?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "I need to buy some cooler clothes and find a place to put my bag."

"There is an inn here for travelers like you," the other guard said. "The price isn't too extravagant."

She thanked them and entered the town. Like Imil, it was primitive compared to her home, but more advanced than the huts in the Feudal Era. This place was actually more sophisticated than Imil. Wandering around, she finally found the inn the soldier was talking about, and had enough coins to pay for her room. She didn't have enough to pay for her entire stay, so she would have to find some sort of work. Leaving her bag in the room, she left to buy some lighter clothing. Leaving the shop after making her purchases, she ran for the inn and changed. The green dress was a lot cooler than the thick, fur-lined coat she had been wearing. The boots she kept; they didn't bother her, and they were good for long treks, which she foresaw herself making.

Now that she was much cooler, she went down to the kitchen to the head cook and asked if there were any vacant jobs she could take for the week she would be staying. The cook asked if she could cook, and when she answered with an affirmative, he demanded she cook something for him.

"Okay, let's see what ingredients I have to work with," she muttered under her breath, checking the shelves. The language wasn't in Japanese, but she slowly remembered what she'd learned from…somewhere, and could understand what the symbols meant. Grabbing what she needed, she started the water boiling. Once it reached the right temperature, she started adding the other ingredients. About an hour later, she gave the cook a bowl of the concoction she had made. The man tasted it and his face lit up in delight.

"What is this?" he asked, polishing off the rest in the bowl.

"It's oden," she answered. "Is it enough to get me a job?"

"If you were willing to stay permanently, I'd let you stay for the rest of you life," he declared. "I've traveled around the world, and never have I ever tasted anything like this."

"It's something we commonly made in my home," she said modestly. "When would you like me to start work?"

"If you would cook this for the other guests for dinner, you could start tonight," he said.

So for the next week Kagome cooked oden. It wasn't hard labor, which was both a blessing and a curse. It paid well so she could spend a little more on extra things, like a bow, arrows, and a knife. This job required some concentration, but not all of it, so she was constantly plagued by memories of her former life in her world and the Feudal Era. The calm she had found at Venus Lighthouse was faded, and she cried herself to sleep every night.

She didn't cook the entire time she was there. She spoke with some of its residents and learned of strange occurrences that had happened before she had come to this world. Two bands of travelers had passed through here. The first had seven people with them, and one of them was Sheba, a young girl who had fallen from the sky and was raised by Faran, the leader of Lalivero. She had been taken to Tolbi, a prosperous town in Angara, the northern continent, so the Laliverans would build Babi lighthouse. Babi, the ruler of Tolbi promised to return her to them so they would finish construction of the lighthouse, but somehow she had been captured by a very strange group. Two of them didn't even look human. They had burning crimson eyes, pointed ears, and strangely colored skin. When they had arrived at the gates, they attacked the Tolbi guards by summoning fire. That triggered something in Kagome's memory, but she couldn't quite place it.

Then there was the second group. They didn't seem very remarkable, just four teenagers chasing the group of seven. However, Faran had told them that these four also possessed extraordinary power. They were able to get through Venus Lighthouse and defeat the fire users of the other group, but in the earthquake that followed the fight, Sheba had fallen into the ocean from the top of the Lighthouse. Another one of the first group had jumped after her, but it was unlikely that either of them survived. Faran felt fairly confident, as Sheba had a unique power and had caused the tide to rise just as she fell, but a lot of other people were fairly skeptical about her survival.

"Do you know the names of the people who defeated the fire users?" she asked the woman she was currently talking to.

"We all do," the woman laughed. "They're celebrities of a sort here, even though they left a while ago. Their names are Isaac, Garet, Ivan, and Mia."

_Isaac, Garet, Ivan, and Mia, huh? Now why do the names Isaac and Garet feel so familiar? Mia was the name of that healer that left Imil. I wonder if it's the same Mia._ "Do you know the names of the fire users?" she asked, dread filling her for some unknown reason.

"Sure do," the woman answered. "Apparently they were from the far north where no one goes. A man and a woman, they were. Their names were Saturos and Menardi."

That set off the bells in her mind. Pictures of a tall blue-skinned man talking and laughing with a woman with long, blonde hair and markings on her face came to mind. _I knew them! That dream three years ago…it wasn't a dream! It was real! Now they're dead? What about Felix?_ "Was there a boy with them? He has brown hair and eyes, and answers to Felix."

"Felix?" the woman asked, looking astonished. "Yes, there was. He was the one Isaac and his friends were tracking. He jumped off the Lighthouse after Sheba."

Kagome thanked the woman and returned to her room in a daze. Now that the block had been removed, she remembered everything. _It wasn't a dream. Now they're dead. Everyone I was ever close to is dying. What's the point of going on? Wait, she didn't mention Jenna in Isaac's group. Maybe she's still alive. She'd be seventeen now. Maybe I should go back to Vale and see how things are going. I could start my own life there; after all, it's not like I have a home to go home to, now._

Kagome's week in Lalivero passed. She had gotten a lot extra coins because of her oden. She refused to part with the recipe, though, much to the chagrin of the head cook. At the end of her stay, she bid farewell to her hosts and the cook and headed for Babi lighthouse. It wasn't hard to find, as it was directly behind Lalivero. Upon arriving, she saw the eye waiting for her. "What do you plan on doing?" it asked.

She noticed that it was looking at her new weapons when it asked this, so she replied, "If I run into someone unfriendly, then I'd like to be prepared to fight."

"Did you forget about your Psynergy?"

"What do you mean?"

"You absorbed the power of both Mercury and Venus Lighthouses. You can use the power of Mercury and Venus to defend yourself. As soon as you absorb the power of Jupiter and Mars, you will have those powers as well."

"Was there a reason you didn't tell me this?" she asked, her eyebrows twitching.

"I thought it would be common sense," it rebuked her. "Now we are heading to Jupiter Lighthouse. We will have to be more careful here."

"Why?" she wanted to know.

"They have yet to light it," the thing answered.

"Who's 'they'?"

"Originally it was those two Proxians, but Isaac and Garet managed to defeat them. Now Felix is trying to carry on their work."

"You sound glad that Saturos and Menardi are dead," she said indignantly.

"They shouldn't have tried to light the Lighthouses. They got what they deserved."

"They were trying to preserve Weyard! They didn't deserve to die."

"I have charged Isaac and Garet with the task of stopping them from lighting the Lighthouses, and they have done their job poorly so far. They try, but there are two Lighthouses lit. At least they took out the ringleaders."

The air swirled again, and this time they landed by a statue. Kagome immediately recognized the winged being as one that was on Jupiter Lighthouse. She only saw them from afar, but now she was right next to it. Marveling at the detail, she moved around to the wings to study how careful the creator must have been.

Voices brought her attention up again. To her horror, she saw an older Garet dangling from the edge of a platform, holding on with one hand. A blue-haired girl was kneeling by his hand and looking worried.

"Garet! Mia! Are you alright?" she heard a familiar voice cry. On the floor above them, she saw a boy around fifteen looking down, but he wasn't the one that cried out. Right next to him was Isaac, looking more mature and worried than last time she saw him, three long years ago on the dock, right before the boulder crashed down on her and his father.

"My right arm's numb," the older Garet called up. "I can't feel it."

The girl tried to lift him up, but failed. "He's too heavy for me to lift him," she cried.

"We need to save Garet, and fast," Isaac said, his voice carrying over to where Kagome was hiding.

"You won't be able to," another familiar voice said. Kagome gasped as Karst, Menardi's younger sister, and Agatio came into view.

_I guess Karst and Agatio are old enough to have partners and fight now,_ Kagome said internally. She listened with heaviness growing in her heart as she heard Karst accuse Isaac of killing Menardi, and how she would avenge her dear sister. Then the two Proxians started fighting with Isaac and the other boy.

A flurry of movement just opposite her caught her attention. Looking over, she saw a group of people running up the stairs. She couldn't see them clearly, but she thought she recognized Kraden. Then again, maybe it was someone else; she wasn't sure.

She watched as the Proxians overpowered the boys and approached them once they had fallen. _No! They're going to kill them!_ She wanted to move, but was rooted to the spot and could only watch it happen.

Right before Karst took her scythe and brought it down on Isaac's vulnerable neck, they whirled around. "Oh, Felix, it's you," she heard Karst say.

She couldn't see him, but she heard him say that he wouldn't let them kill Isaac. _That can't be right. He jumped off the top of Venus Lighthouse after that girl, Sheba. He can't still be alive after a fall like that!_

After more negotiating, they made him get the Mars Star from Isaac. That confused her. _I thought Saturos and Menardi were the ones going to light the Lighthouses. Why would Isaac have an Elemental Star, then?_

Then Felix came into view. There was no mistaking it; it was definitely him. He looked the same, yet so different. He no longer looked like a gangling teenager; he was more comfortable in his body than he was three years ago, and he had an air of confidence that had been lacking earlier. The way he carried himself was also improved. His hair was still in that ponytail, though. She was glad that hadn't changed. At the moment, he was looking down at his friend with an unreadable expression.

"Take it," Isaac addressed him. Apparently that wasn't what Felix had been expecting. "I don't know why you're helping them, but I trust you. Take it." With an obvious effort, he held out a silver bag, and Felix took it.

"Now, go light the Lighthouse," Agatio commanded once the exchange was finished. "Felix, we'll be waiting for you at the Aerie." He and Karst left.

Felix started to follow them, but a man wearing a blue headdress stopped him. "I don't trust them," he said. "Let me go with you." Felix nodded and the two of them left.

"It's time to go to the Aerie," the eye said.

Kagome jumped; she'd forgotten it was there. "But isn't Felix going up there right now?" she asked.

"Yes. Once the beacon is lit and they are gone, you will absorb the power of the wind."

_Like Kagura,_ she thought with a shiver, remembering the wind sorceress, one of Naraku's earlier incarnations. "Shouldn't I help Garet?"

"No. You must interact with them as little as possible."

"Why?"

"You have a job to do, as do they. If you meet any more than necessary, you will both be distracted from your tasks."

The world faded into the spiraling colors and she found herself behind another statue. From this position she could see Karst and Agatio waiting impatiently for Felix and the other man to come and light Jupiter Lighthouse.

Finally Felix and the other man did appear. "You're late," Karst snapped.

"Now light the Lighthouse," Agatio added forcefully.

As Felix approached the pit to drop the Star in, Kagome had to scramble around the statue to avoid being seen. When she peeked around the statue, she saw Felix looking directly at her statue.

"Is something wrong?" the blue-haired man accompanying him asked.

"I thought I saw movement," Felix answered, frowning. Then he shook his head. "Must be my imagination." He tossed the small jewel into the yawning hole and stepped back. It wasn't long before the planet showed itself, and the light of Jupiter shone once again on Hesperia.

_They'll leave anytime now,_ she thought. As she watched, something completely unexpected happened. As Felix and the man turned to leave, Karst and Agatio blocked their way, stole the Mars Star, and started attacking them. _This isn't right! Karst and Felix were good friends three years ago. What happened?_

They only got in two blows before Jenna showed up. She too had changed, and when she saw her brother and the other man being attacked, she rushed up and joined in.

Another round went by and a small blonde girl came up. _That must be Sheba. If he survived, then she probably did, too._ When she saw what was happening, the girl joined in the fight. The four of them managed to defeat the two Proxians, despite being weaker than the two warriors from the Northern Wilds.

Right before they were about to deliver the finishing blow, another man came and stopped them. He had long blue hair and walked with an air of authority. She watched as he healed the two Proxians and left with them, but not before she found out his name: Alex.

Then Isaac along with his companions walked up the Aerie steps, and she had to readjust her position so they wouldn't see her. She heard them agree to meet in Contigo and there explanations would be given. _I need an explanation of what's going on, too._ Still she didn't say anything and watched as first Isaac's group left, then Felix's were ready to go. They went on ahead, but Felix stayed back, staring hard at her statue. She tried not to move.

"Felix, we need to go," Jenna called.

He turned to leave, gave the statue one last look over his shoulder, and rejoined his sister and traveling companions. Kagome sank to her knees. "That was close," she breathed, her legs feeling like jelly.

"Touch the power," the eye said, reappearing by her side.

"I'm on it," she grumbled. Using the statue for support, she hoisted herself up and prepared herself for the rush that accompanied her "visits" with the Lighthouses.

It was very different than the other two. She was the mighty wind; mountains would bend their will to hers in time. Nothing could stand against her forever; eventually they all fell. She was everywhere; in space, on Weyard, there was no place she didn't exist except the core of the earth.

Coming out of this trance she felt exhilarated. Feeling like she could jump off the Aerie and fly but knowing she would fall flat on the ground, she turned to the eye to wait for further instruction. She didn't have long to wait.

"It's time to head down to Contigo," the eye informed her.

"Contigo? Isn't that where Felix and Isaac are headed?" she asked, confused. "I thought they weren't supposed to see me."

"Avoid them. If you see them, go another way. They may not remember you; it has been three years, and many things have happened in that time, to you and to them."

_That's a bit discouraging,_ she thought. "Where is it?"

"It's a long way off. I can guide you, but I believe you're ready to defeat the monsters in the area. With the power of three Lighthouses, it should be more than sufficient to get rid of the problems."

"If you say so," Kagome responded. The platform Felix and his party took came back up. "Are we going down that way?" she asked, pointing.

"Yes." They got on, and the thing dropped straight down, leaving Kagome feeling like she left her stomach up at the top, but it slowed down when it reached the bottom, and she lightly leaped off. Free of its passengers, the platform rose to the Aerie once again. The eye started floating off towards what she assume was the road to Contigo.

Just like the thing said, she was attacked by monsters, or rather, low-class demons. Even without the power of the Lighthouses, she would have been able to hold them off. To her surprise, every time one of those demons was defeated, it turned to dust and left behind items and coins. Some of these items were useless, but at times they dropped weapons or food, and the coins were going to be very helpful when she arrived in Contigo.


	13. Chapter 13

**SphereShadow: I'm updating. I know it took a little longer today than usual, but I got to it eventually. Please don't hurt me!**

**Musashi the Master: Even Ivan and Mia will be in this story. You were already introduced to them in the last chapter, but I figured I'd just say it again. They will all appear in later chapters as well.**

**If I've forgotten anyone, I am very sorry. Yell at me, and I will try to correct it.**

&&

When she saw the city, tiny compared to the giant crater that it was built next to, the eye left her after saying to be back at the base in another two weeks. She was still assaulted by demons, but they weren't anything she couldn't handle; after Naraku, she didn't think there was a demon alive who could take her. She walked into the city, her and her giant bag, and made for the inn first. The people were kind and lent her a room. She zoomed up to it and dropped her bag next to the bed; she flopped down on the bed itself.

_What a day,_ she thought ruefully. _I learned so much, but out of all of that, I think the must useful thing was learning that I could earn money by fighting demons. I can just exterminate the demons in the area and pay for my board. All that fighting is tiring, though. I think I'll just take a quick nap and see what this place has in the way of supplies._

When she woke up, she heard voices on the other side of her wall. Irritated, she was about to go and ask them to keep it down when she recognized one of the voices. It didn't hit her who it was, but it made her stop and put her ear to the wall. Focusing hard, she realized with a sinking feeling that that was Jenna's voice. _They're staying in the same inn as me,_ she thought, almost panicking.

"What happened at the top of the Lighthouse?" Jenna was asking.

"Karst and Agatio said they couldn't trust us anymore, so they tried to get rid of us," Felix answered her.

"That's not what I meant," she said. "Why did you keep looking at that statue?"

"Oh, that. I thought I saw movement, but I never saw it more than the time it caught my attention."

"You think there was another person up there with us?" a different girl's voice asked. Sheba.

"Maybe," Felix said doubtfully. "I only saw it once, and that person would have had to be a powerful Jupiter Adept to hide their presence from Karst and Agatio."

"Yet you're pretty sure someone was up there," the man from before spoke up. "Even while we were fighting, you kept looking back at it. I thought you knew to trust your instincts by this time, Felix."

"Piers is right," Sheba piped up. "If you thought someone was up there, then odds are there was a person up there."

"It doesn't matter," Felix said. "We won't ever see that person again, probably, and we have to get used to Isaac and his group fighting with us."

The conversation turned to Isaac, so Kagome took her ear away from the wall. They saw her! That wasn't good. Well, they didn't see _her_, but Felix knew someone else had been on top of the Lighthouse, someone who had no business being there. She would have to be much more careful.

Feeling the pangs of hunger begin to make themselves known, she went downstairs after changing her outfit; the one she had been wearing was dirty, and if Felix saw what color it was, she would be in trouble. Instead of putting on something green, like the dress she had been wearing, she pulled on a black skirt and a long, light red tunic.

Feeling like she was ready, she left her room and went downstairs. She ordered something off the menu and looked around, taking in her surroundings. It was a nice place, not as sophisticated as Lalivero, but still very nice. Her meal arrived, and she dug in. Then someone ran into her chair.

"Oh, excuse me, I'm sorry," a voice said. Glaring around, she saw who it was and froze. It was the boy fighting with Isaac! "I'm truly sorry," he said sincerely.

"Oh, it's fine," she forgave him, waving a hand at him. "It happens to everyone."

The boy smiled. "Are you a traveler?" he asked.

"Yes, I am. Why?"

"You clothes are differently styled than the ones here in Hesperia."

"Oh, I got these in Lalivero," she said cheerfully.

"Lalivero? I've been there. How long ago were you there?"

"Oh, not too long ago." She didn't think it would be wise to say she was there that morning. "Care to sit down and talk?"

He eagerly sat down and they began to talk about the places they'd been. He had already been to the towns she had been through, so they spoke of how things were different on the two visits. Then he described places she had never been, and she drank it in like a sponge in water. How long she listened, she didn't know, but it was all too soon when the rest of his group and Felix's came down. "Hey, Ivan, where are you?" she heard Garet bellow over the din in the room.

"Oh, those are my friends," he said, waving to them.

"You know, I'm done," Kagome said quickly, rising. "It was nice listening to you, Ivan. Maybe we can do this again sometime."

"Yeah," he agreed, and she left quickly before anyone from the big group could clearly see who Ivan had been talking to.

&&

As soon as Ivan waved at them, Felix noticed that he wasn't alone. A strange-looking girl sat with him. It wasn't her clothes that were strange; those looked like they were from Gondowan. It was her complexion. Bright black hair like that was only found in Xian, but she didn't look like one of them. For some reason she reminded him of someone he knew long ago; he couldn't recall the name now, or what she looked like, but that person reminded him of her. Unfortunately, she left before he could see her features up close.

"Who was that?" Isaac asked him, taking a seat next to him.

The boy frowned. "I don't know," he confessed as the rest of them took seats around the table.

Garet cuffed him lightly on the side of his head. "You were talking to her for who knows how long, and you still don't know her name?"

"She never gave it," he said defensively. "I did find out that she's a traveler, though. She visited Imil and Lalivero not long after we left, though."

"Really?" That got their attention.

"How are things in Lalivero?" Sheba asked anxiously; that was her home, after all.

"She said things were going well. They stopped construction on the lighthouse, though."

"Good," Sheba stated. She didn't like Babi, the man who held her captive in order to make Faran build the lighthouse in the first place.

"How are Justin and Megan?" Mia asked after her former pupils.

"They've been doing a good job, though they haven't been needed much, not since Mercury was lit and the Water of Hermes flows again."

"Hang on," Garet butted in. "Ivan? You said she was a traveler, right?" When Ivan nodded, he continued. "That's not saying much. Everyone staying in this inn is a traveler."

"Well, I found out she went to those place, and we did, too, so I thought that was interesting," Ivan replied in his defense.

"Leave him alone, Garet," Isaac said. "It's not important. Let's eat!"

Everyone greeted this statement with enthusiasm. While they ate, Felix thought about where me might have seen that girl before. _Was she on top of the Lighthouse? No, I saw green, not red or black. Besides, I don't think that girl is a Jupiter Adept. I'll think about it later; right now I have to get used to fighting with Isaac on our side._

Looking around the table, he saw that he wasn't the only one. Everyone was just a little tense. Jenna, Mia, and Sheba seemed to be getting along, but the rest of the group, a.k.a. the men, were still watching each other warily. Even Garet, for all he was goofing off like always did back in Vale.

Felix finished quickly and stood up. "I'm going back to the room," he told them when they looked up.

"Did you want some company?" Piers asked.

"No, I'm fine," he answered. Spinning on his heel, he trod up the stairs and into the room. Passing through, he opened the balcony door and stepped out into the cooling air. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting the air clear his head. _I never would've thought Isaac would join us. I never thought I'd let them, not after they killed Saturos and Menardi. A lot of things happened that I didn't think were possible. Karst and Agatio actually attacked us. I never knew Agatio, but I did know Karst. We were friends growing up; what happened?_

Opening his eyes, he looked over and saw that he wasn't the only one to come out for fresh air. The girl who was talking with Ivan earlier was there, almost mimicking him. Her eyes were closed, and it looked like she was welcoming what warmth was left from the fading sun.

Now that he could see her clearly, his breath caught in his throat. _It can't be! She looks like…Kagome! That was her name! But she died in Prox three years ago._ He remembered well that day. She had said that she would be back shortly, but when Saturos returned some hours later, she was still gone. By that time, he was in a panic, and Saturos couldn't tell what was wrong because Felix wasn't exactly coherent at that point. When he finally figured out what was wrong, he and some other searchers left to find her. Unfortunately, the snow covered any tracks that she might have left, and by this time, she would have frozen, even dressed in her heaviest furs. Needless to say, Felix had been devastated. She was like family, and then she was gone, just as suddenly as she had come. Over time, he had forced her from his memory, since it was like a knife twisting in his chest every time she appeared in his mind's eye, and time hadn't stopped the pain; in fact, it seemed to become more acute as time went on.

Acting very out of character, he leaned on the rail closest to her balcony and called over, "Nice night, isn't it?"

Her head snapped around to look at him, her eyes wide with…fear? She seemed very nervous for some reason. "Um, yes," she agreed, slowly backing up.

_She even sounds like Kagome, except older._ "You're afraid of me," he remarked. That stopped her.

"I'm not afraid of you," she contradicted him.

"I can see it in your eyes, and you were backing away from me." He was smiling. _This is fun._

"I'm not afraid," she repeated stubbornly. "Why would I be afraid of you?"

"I don't know," he blithely agreed. "I don't recall ever doing anything to you, so this fear of yours is unfounded."

"I told you, I'm not afraid." Now she was grinning. She knew he was playing with her. "Maybe you're the one who's afraid of me, only you said I was afraid so I wouldn't know it was the other way around."

"Maybe. What's your name?"

She hesitated. "Do you not have a name?" he teased her. What was it about her? He almost never acted like this around his friends, much less a complete stranger.

"My name isn't important," she said, not answering his question. "How long are you staying in Contigo?"

"It depends," he answered evasively. "Why?"

"Just wondering. I'm staying for a few weeks, and was wondering if you were going to be my neighbors the whole time."

"Well, I know we aren't staying that long," he chuckled. "Maybe a few days at most."

"Oh." She looked a little disappointed and…relieved? What was with this girl?

The door to the room opened. "Felix?" Sheba was calling him.

"I'm being summoned," he said unnecessarily to his room neighbor. "It was nice talking to you. Maybe I'll see you around?"

She smiled. "Maybe." She went in the same time he did.

&&

_He didn't know me._ Kagome didn't know whether to feel relief or hurt. It was good that he didn't recognize her, but maybe he didn't remember her at all. _I guess I can't really blame him; I mean, I forgot everything about this place. I can't be mad at him if he's forgotten. Maybe that would be for the best, since I'm not even supposed to interact with him or anyone else. I need some sleep. I know I just took a nap before dinner, but I'm so tired. Absorbing all that power really takes it out of you._

Over the next few days she kept running into them. It wasn't exactly a big town, and they were staying in the same inn, but it was uncanny the amount of times she ran into at least one of them.

Then they left. She was in the weapons shop when Piers came in. She greeted him like she always did when she saw one of them, and he told her they were leaving the next day. That night she saw all of them at a table and was looking for an empty one when Ivan waved her over and invited her to eat with them. Feeling very nervous, she sat down and listened to them plan their next move while she ate her dinner quietly.

"We need to go to Prox," Felix said. "That's where the last Lighthouse is located."

"Isn't Prox where Karst and Agatio are?" Mia asked.

"Since they now have the Mars Star, that's probably the first place they headed," Jenna said glumly. "Now we have to go and pick up our parents."

"So we're just going to let those two light the last Lighthouse?" Garet asked.

"We don't have a choice," Felix informed him. "It doesn't matter anyway. As long as it's lit, then it doesn't matter who lights it."

Piers turned to Kagome. "We'll be sorry to say good-bye to such a good neighbor," he stated. "I hope we will meet again."

She smiled. "It was nice meeting all of you. I'm sorry you have to leave so soon."

"If you're ever in Angara again, you should visit Vale sometime," Jenna said. "We'd love to see you."

"I'd like that. Maybe I will."

She said good-bye to them and left for her room. _Once they're gone I don't have to be quite so careful. Still, they were nice, and I'll miss them._

The next morning she woke to the sound of a crowd leaving. Throwing on some clothes, she asked the innkeeper what was going on.

"The wings of Anemos have been attached to the ship in the harbor," he answered. "Everyone who can is going down to see it fly."

Not having anything better to do, she joined the throng of people and they made their way down to the harbor, which was some distance away.

To her surprise, she saw Felix and the rest of them talking to a woman, then boarding the ship. "Is that their ship?" she asked the woman next to her.

"Yes. We believe they are the ones the prophecy is talking about, so we put the wings on their ship. Now we have to wait and see it fly."

_Fat chance of that thing flying._ Still, she stayed and watched as it sailed towards the entrance of the gulf. To her surprise, blue ring surrounded the boat, and the wings spread, carrying the boat over the obstacle that had been previously blocking it. _Well, you learn new things every day._ Once they were over, the people dispersed. Kagome wandered back to Contigo with them and meandered around the town.

The rest of her time in Contigo was dull without them. She would occasionally go out and destroy any demon that was unfortunate enough to cross her path, and earned her coins. In a way, she was almost relieved when it was time to go to Jupiter Lighthouse again. Unlike the other times, the eye wasn't there waiting for her. In fact, she waited around and killed demons until close to evening before the thing showed up. "What took you so long?" she demanded.

"It was not yet time. Now it is." The familiar swirling took place, and she was once again on top of the Aerie. She was by one of its dragon statues (There were only four this time), and a few seconds later, she saw why. The group of eight Adepts plus Kraden came up the stairs and would have seen her had she not been behind it.

Just as Felix approached the chasm to throw in the Mars Star (_How did he get that? I thought it was with Karst and Agatio._), the eye floated up and started talking to them. After saying something about miracles stopping them, it faded and a three-headed dragon flew up and landed in front of the holding place of the Mars Star. They knew what to do and spread out. The dragon fought them, and some of its attacks devastated them, but after a long time (it felt like hours to Kagome), it fell, its three heads cut off. The heads shimmered and changed shape to ones Kagome knew only too well.

"Eric, Arianna, Kyle," she whispered to herself. "No. How could this happen?"

The fighters were upset when they recognized who it was they had killed. They weren't dead yet, but they were close. Piers and Mia did what they could, but the adults were too far-gone.

Felix, with a set expression, approached the pit once again and threw the Star inside. The usual rising of the planet came, but a cry from Garet brought her attention to him. "Let go of my wrist," he cried.

"Garet, get a grip," Isaac shouted. "No one's touching you."

Then something new happened. The planet spasmed, turning angry red and neon yellow. "We have to get out of here," Kraden shouted. "The Lighthouse is dangerous."

"We can't leave our parents," Jenna cried.

"If we don't, then we won't get out alive," Piers pointed out. "Felix, should we try it?"

He nodded. Then the planet spasmed again, and they all grabbed an adult and ran like their lives depended on it.

"It's time," the eye said by her arm.

"You made them fight their own parents," she said. "How could you do that?"

"It was necessary. Now go. Be careful. The Golden Sun is rising above Mt. Aleph as we speak, and the Lighthouses are preparing to send their power over it. You must hurry."

She walked to the edge of the pulsing planet and put her hands on it. The fire burned in her veins, her very being. She was the volcano that destroyed so much, the candle that allowed people to see, the fire where people warmed themselves. The heat was consuming her, but she relished the feeling. Like the other elements, she played a part in life; without her, nothing would grow, and all would die. She was a destroyer, but she also bestowed life.

She was thrown out of her reverie by a particularly harsh burst from the planet. "It's time to leave. The Lighthouses are dangerous," the eye said. She grabbed her bag and the two of them were teleported to the base of the Lighthouse. This she recognized, having been here many times with Saturos, Menardi, and Felix.

"Am I going to back to Prox now?" she asked.

"No, you are going back to Contigo."

"But isn't it just easier to go to Prox?"

"They will be leaving that place soon, but Contigo is a safer place."

"As you will."

They found themselves outside of Contigo a few seconds later. "You have absorbed the power of all four Lighthouses. Your job is finished," it said.

"What? So now what are you going to do? Leave me here? Send me back?"

"You are free to choose. Would you like me to take you back to your home?"

_It would be a familiar setting, but I don't think I can deal with all the memories._ "No," she sighed. "There's nothing for me there, not now."

"Would you like me to take you back to Prox?"

"No, I'll just stay here, I guess."

"Then I will leave you. Our paths may cross again, or they may not. Good luck to you." It vanished.

She went back to the inn and got her room back as she had only left that morning. When questioned about her early return, she replied, "I saw what I needed to see, so now I need to figure out what I'm going to do."

A few days later there was a stir in the people. "What's going on?" she asked the innkeeper.

"The flying ship has returned," he responded.


	14. Chapter 14

**Unfortunately, school starts tomorrow, so I might not be able to update for a while. If my teachers are nice, I can get a chapter in tomorrow, but that's probably it. Sorry, guys.**

**SphereShadow: Felix won't know it's her for some time. She doesn't want to pull him down, and he thinks she's dead. Once someone has an idea in their heads, it's very hard to let go of them. Unless she tells him that it's her, or he finds evidence, then they'll just keep believing the same thing.**

**Musashi the Master: I think the story's doing well. But it doesn't matter what I think; I'm biased, after all. It's what YOU think that's important.**

&&

_They're back,_ she thought numbly. _Maybe I'll see them again._ Still, she was afraid of what she would find, so she just took her bag and wandered over to the item shop. She stayed there until it grew dark, then warily walked back to the inn. Not wanting to run into them, she cautiously stuck her head in the door, but didn't see them. Breathing a sigh of relief, she ran up to her room with her bag of purchases and quickly shut the door. _I guess I can skip dinner tonight._ Her growling stomach negated that idea._ Nope, guess I have to eat._

She walked downstairs and sat at an empty table. As she read the menu, she saw a new dish and decided to try it. After ordering, she looked around to see who was new. When her food arrived, her stomach didn't give her any time to sightsee; all attention was on the plate in front of her. Unfortunately, she was so engrossed in her food that she didn't notice Ivan come and sit down next to her.

"So, you're still here," he commented, surprising her.

She jerked her head up and looked into his violet eyes. "When did you get here?" she sputtered.

He laughed. "Just now," he assured her. "I'm surprised you're still in this place."

"I'm surprised you came back."

"We almost didn't," he told her, "but we figured we might as well."

"Did you accomplish what you were going to?" she inquired.

"We did."

"Why did you stop by here again?"

He blushed. "They did it mostly for me. See, I was born here in Hesperia, so we stopped by again on our way home."

"Well, I'm glad you did," she said firmly. "Have a safe trip home."

She started to rise, but he stopped her. "Wait, I'm sure everyone else will want to say hello to you," he pleaded. "Please stay?"

She sat back down reluctantly. "Will this table be big enough?" she asked.

"Good point," he conceded. He got up and added another table onto the one they were sitting at. "Now there's enough," he said, surveying his work with a satisfied look on his face. "Oh, look, here they come." He stood up and waved his staff over his head because he was short and the place was more crowded than usual. They saw his weaving staff and pushed their way over.

"Oh, I didn't know you were here," Mia commented as they sat down. "I would have thought you'd have left already."

"I did leave, but I found what I was looking for, so I came back," she answered cheerfully.

"It's nice to see you again," Sheba said, leafing through the menu.

Kagome smiled and looked to see who else was at the table. Her gaze froze on three extra people, looking very healthy when they were supposed to be dead. Eric, Arianna, and Kyle were talking and laughing with Kraden, looking for all the world like they had never been turned into a dragon and killed by their children and their children's friends.

"Who are they?" she asked Piers, who was sitting on her right.

He followed her gaze. "Those are Felix and Jenna's parents and Isaac's father," he explained. "We picked them up at the last town we went to."

"Were they stuck there?" she asked, already knowing the answer but pretending to know absolutely nothing.

"In a way," Piers answered. "Anyway, they're traveling back to Vale with us."

She looked back at them and noticed that all four adults were giving her the strangest looks. Looking quickly away, she engaged Mia in conversation.

As the shadows disappeared, Kagome stood up and bid them good-bye, pleading weariness. She almost reached the safety of her room when a hand grabbed her shoulder. She spun around, ready to shock him with her new power, but stopped when she saw who it was. "Isaac," she said, stunned. "What can I do for you?"

"Sorry to startle you," he said amiably. "I was just wondering if you know where you're going next."

"No, I don't have a particular destination. Why?"

"Why don't you come to Vale with us?"

That took her completely by surprise. "What?"

"It's okay if you don't want to," he hastily added. "Felix is just worried that if you go much further, then you'll run into trouble that you might not be able to handle."

Anger flared in her. "You can tell Felix that I can take care of myself," she huffed.

He backed up, his hands in front of him as if to ward off her fury. "I have no doubt," he assured her, "but Felix is concerned."

"Why should he be? He doesn't know me."

He shrugged. "Felix is just like that. He worries about everyone. Anyway, he said to offer if you didn't have another destination that you needed to go to. What should I tell him?"

She frowned thoughtfully. _It said I'm on my own, so I guess it's safe to travel with them. Besides, it won't be quite as lonely with them, and they're nice._ "Sure, I'll travel with you for now," she accepted his offer.

Isaac grinned. "Great, I'll tell them. Bye." He waved and started trotting back down the hall. She shook her head and opened her door. Deciding to breathe the cool night air, she let herself back out onto the balcony and observed how still the city was once night hit. There were no electric lights, so there was not much activity at night.

"Imagine seeing you here," Felix's voice said from her right. Turning, she saw him smiling at her.

"You know, I can take care of myself," she informed him.

"I don't doubt that," he answered. "Still I would never forgive myself if something happened to you and I could have prevented it."

"You're going to be sorry for most of your life if you have that attitude," she said, fighting back tears. _I need to take my own advice, but I could've saved them if I'd tried harder!_ "Are you like that with everyone or just strangers you meet in random cities?"

"Everyone, for the most part," he replied. He sighed. "It's going to be crowded tonight."

"Why?"

"We have my parents and Isaac's dad with us this time, so we need different sleeping arrangements. Before, we all just slept in our groups, but now they have to do all this figuring."

"What do you have so far?"

"It'll be my parents, Jenna, Mia, and Sheba in this room while Kraden, Isaac's father, Isaac, Garet, Ivan, Piers, and I are in the other room."

She winced. "Ouch," she sympathized. "Well, if you really need more room, I can take some people in mine."

He looked relieved. "You don't know how much that would help," he said gratefully. "I think it would be best if Mia, Ivan, and Piers went with you. Is that okay, or would you prefer all girls?"

"No, those three would be alright," she assured him. "By the way, when did you plan on leaving?"

"Tomorrow. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll tell your new roommates where they're going. Thanks again." He waved and went back inside, but she stayed outside.

_What am I doing? I just need to take it easy; I'm starting a new life, so I need to get into shape. I guess I'm not looking at my pictures tonight._ Every night Kagome had faithfully looked through her picture books that were filled with photos from her time and the Feudal Era. They upset her, and that's why she cried every night, but she didn't want to forget, like she had forgotten this place. She especially didn't want to forget Inuyasha. _Inuyasha…_

A knock at her door brought her out of her reverie. Crossing the room after she hid her outlandish things (her book, CD player…), she opened the door and saw her three new roommates. "Hello," she greeted them. "Come in." She stepped back and they followed her in.

"Thank you for allowing us to stay in here," Ivan thanked her for the three of them. "You wouldn't believe how crowded those rooms are."

"Felix told me, and I think that so many people to a room wasn't fair while I had this big one all to myself. Make yourselves at home."

They settled onto different sections of the floor. Kagome had offered the bed, but they all declined, saying that this was her room, and she was letting them stay, so the bed was hers. "So, what brought you here?" Piers asked once they were all settled.

"Something bad happened at home, so I started traveling," she said, trying not to cry again.

They all sensed that she'd rather not talk about it, and refrained from asked her about that anymore. Instead, they focused on why she looked so different than anyone they'd ever seen. She answered the best she could, but sometimes wasn't able, as she didn't think they'd understand.

While she explained things, Ivan wandered over to the closet and curiously peeked in, and promptly shouted and fell backwards. "What's wrong?" Mia asked.

"What is _that_?" he asked, his voice shaking, as well as the hand pointing inside.

Kagome walked over and laughed. "This?" she asked, holding her priestess garb. The boy nodded. "This is one of the traditional clothing of my home," she explained. "I know it's more different than some things you'd seen, but why did you shout?"

"Those look like a man's clothes," he said, looking sheepish. "I thought that someone else was in there for a minute."

They all chuckled at that, even Ivan. "Come on, I think we'd better get some sleep," Piers stated. "We're leaving tomorrow, and we all know how Felix likes to leave early."

They bid each other goodnight, and drifted to sleep. The next morning Kagome woke before they did and quietly walked around, packing her things back in her bag. By the time they woke up, she was done packing and ready to leave. She followed them into the eating area downstairs where Felix was already eating. They sat down next to him.

"So, is everyone rested enough to continue?" he asked them, getting an affirmative from each of them.

"Are we going straight to Vale or stopping by another town before that?" Ivan asked.

"We'll go as far as we can. We'll stop at another town if we have to, but I'd rather we just keep sailing until we reach the coast of Angara."

The other slowpokes joined them, and the all ate breakfast while they chatted about what they were going to do there; no one mentioned that fact that it might not be there; with the Golden Sun forming over it, it was very likely that the bursts of energy had destroyed their hometown, but no one was willing to admit that possibility.

After everyone had finished, they headed towards their ship with Kagome in the back, unsure of where they were going. Garet noticed that she was lagging and joined her, telling her the most outrageous things and making her laugh. He eased her towards the rest of the group, talking to other people and including her. She smiled; she knew what he was doing. The giant redhead was putting her at ease with the rest of the group, and she silently thanked him for his efforts.

Then they arrived at the ship. They all boarded and entered the cabin. Kagome followed the girls and put her stuff with theirs. When they left, she followed them to the deck, where Felix was standing at the wheel. "Is everyone ready?" he asked.

They answered affirmative, so they set off. Kagome took a position by the side, feeling the salty air blow on her face, just like the trip she was taken on with Saturos and Menardi. She froze when she saw the obstacle still in place at the mouth of the sea, but no one else seemed to mind it much. As she watched, the wings opened and they were sailing over it. As they were in the air, Kagome felt her energy slipping away but couldn't figure out why.

Seeing her expression change, Sheba asked, "Is something wrong?"

"I feel drained," she confessed, "but I'm not doing anything."

"Oh, it's the ship," Sheba explained. "In order for the ship to fly, it uses our Psynergy. I didn't know you had any."

Kagome just smiled. "We all learn new things every day," she remarked.

She felt Sheba's eyes on her, and in her mind she felt a new presence trying to read her mind. _I don't think so._ She formed a mental block to keep the intruder out, and felt its surprise. Unable to penetrate her shield, it withdrew.

The nights were warm, and Kagome was feeling very claustrophobic in the cabin she shared with the other girls and knew they felt it, too. Removing her stuff one night, she hiked up to the deck and found a secure spot to put her bag. From then on she slept on deck. No one commented on this so she didn't bother going back belowdecks. They were close to Angara's coast, and the ship was anchored so they could sleep without worrying about drifting off-course. She was watching the stars when she felt another presence beside her. "They're beautiful, aren't they?" Felix asked.

She nodded. "Yes, they are. Back home you could never see them this brightly." _Only in the Feudal Era._

"We're almost to Vale," he said. "Tomorrow we should be able to dock and make our way to Kalay. From there we'll be able to go to Vale and Mt. Aleph." He turned to look at her. "Where did you plan on going once you've seen Vale?"

Kagome shrugged. "I don't know. I can't go home, so I'll either keep traveling or settle down somewhere. I have yet to decide what I'll do." She faced him. "I've heard that Valeans are very secretive and don't exactly welcome strangers with open arms."

He laughed ruefully. "That's true," he admitted. "Still, you are welcome in my house, and I'm sure Isaac and Garet would say the same."

"I'm touched," she said truthfully.

"You know," he started thoughtfully, "we've been traveling together for some time now, and I still don't know your name."

She went cold. "Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized, but didn't offer her name.

"Do you have a name? I know you said it didn't matter the first time I asked you, but I feel like I should know it."

_You do know it, or you did at one point in time. I have nothing else to hide, so I might was well tell him my name._ "They call me Kagome."

She saw him stiffen. "I knew a person by that name before," he said. "She died three years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that." With those words he seemed to collapse in on himself.

"It doesn't matter, I guess," he said, trying to sound like he believed it, and failed dismally.

"Why don't you tell me about her?" she asked. _It's not like I don't already know, but it'll give him something to talk about._

"She lived with my family," he began. "She appeared out of the blue one day, looking like she was dying. The healers fixed her wounds, but she didn't know our language, so she stayed with my family to learn. We grew close, but then Mt. Aleph exploded, and we were taken to the Northern Wilds by two of its inhabitants. One of them raised us until she disappeared; then it was just me and him. We tried looking for her, but there was no trace left." He stopped talking. Kagome looked over and saw that tears were close to falling from his eyes.

Acting on instinct, she leaned towards him and hugged him. He held onto her, taking comfort in her. "She must have meant a lot to you," she murmured.

"She was the closest friend I had in Prox," he said softly. "I was devastated when she died. I guess demons got to her, but we never found any body or blood. I had to force her out of my mind or else I would've wasted away. I wanted to, but then what would Saturos have done? He was close to both of us, and he was just as scarred by that as I was. I couldn't do that to him."

He wasn't paying attention to whom he was talking to or what he was saying, or else he would've known she couldn't have known about Saturos or Prox. He didn't cry, but he still clung to her for support, and she willingly gave it. It wasn't her fault the eye had taken her back to her world, but she felt guilty all the same.

"You can't go back down like this," she decided. "How about you stay out here with me tonight? You're not bothering me, and if anyone's awake in your cabin, they won't ask any awkward questions."

Felix nodded. Letting go of her, he moved a few feet away and lay down, looking up at the stars. She lay on her side, facing away from him. She was tired, but for some reason sleep wouldn't come. A cold breeze blew by, making her shiver. "Are you cold?" Felix asked her.

"Oh, no, I'm fine," she assured him, but then another cold wind passed, making her shake.

"You're lying to me," he reprimanded her gently, moving back over to her. "Come, I'll keep you warm." She felt him slide his arm behind her neck and found her head resting on his strong chest. _When did he get so strong? Now that I think about it, when did he get so open with strangers?_

"Do you offer to sleep next to every stranger you meet?" she asked, craning her neck to look at him.

He smiled down at her. "No," he admitted. "For some reason, I feel like I know you. You remind me of the Kagome that died three years ago. She was my best friend, and when I'm with you, I feel like I'm with her again, and everything seems right."

"You sound like you were in love with her," she teased, but got a serious answer.

"I guess I was," he said softly. "She loved someone else, so I never went anywhere romantically with her. That would have been a different story if she didn't love that other person with all her soul. Poor guy, I don't know if he knows that she's dead. He was lucky while she was alive, though. She always thought of him."

Kagome fell silent._ It's the other way around. I'm alive, and he's dead. I didn't know Felix loved me. He shouldn't; he deserves someone who isn't haunted by the past._

&&


	15. Chapter 15

**Another chapter up in case I can't do it tomorrow. And it's extra-long.**

&&

They were woken by a very surprised Piers the next morning. He opened the door of the cabin, looked to where Kagome normally slept, and did a double-take. There was Felix, asleep, with Kagome using him as a pillow. "Did I miss something?" he asked out loud, scratching his head and looking nonplussed.

Felix opened his eyes, looking at his friend. "Is something wrong?" he asked, about to sit up but felt something on his chest. Glancing down, he saw the girl, Kagome, asleep still.

"Care to explain?" the mariner asked.

"I decided to stay out here last night," Felix informed him. "Nothing happened," he hurriedly added, seeing his friend's look. "I just got some things off my chest."

"That's not like you," Piers remarked, squatting next to the Venus Adept. "It took you a long time to warm up to me, and I've seen you around strangers. You're not exactly a social butterfly, you know."

He sighed. "She reminds me of someone I once knew. Their names are even the same."

"How do you know they aren't the same person?"

"She died in Prox three years ago. She went out into the snow and never came back. There's no way she could have made her way to the harbor and taken a boat because they were all there, and the cold or the demons on the way would have finished her off before she made it that far."

"Could she teleport?"

"She had absolutely no Psynergy, so she was more vulnerable than I would have been."

"What's her name?"

He looked down and smiled tenderly. "Kagome."

As if hearing her name summoned her consciousness back to he body, she sleepily opened her eyes. "Good morning," Felix told her.

She smiled. What an innocent smile! "Good morning, Felix." Looking up, she said, "Good morning, Piers. Are we going to land today?"

"Indeed we are," Piers confirmed. "I'll weigh anchor if Felix will take the wheel."

Felix got up reluctantly and walked with Piers to the fore. "Be careful," Piers muttered to him.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"Be careful," the Lemurian repeated. "She hasn't told you everything. Sheba and Ivan both have tried to Mind Read her, and there's a wall that prevents them from reading anything. And another thing. If you get too close to her, don't sleep near her. I'd rather not come up to get some fresh air and walk in on something…potentially embarrassing."

"Piers!" he exclaimed, shocked. "You know I have more control than that! Besides, I barely know her."

The mariner just shrugged. "I'm just saying it's better to be safe than sorry. I know we won't have that problem since we're landing today, but I'd just like to address that now."

Felix shook his head and took his position by the wheel. _We're almost home._

&&

Kagome watched as Felix got up to follow Piers. She could sense his reluctance to leave her. What she couldn't figure out was why. Sure, she knew that he loved her three years ago, but he thought they were different people. And they were closer to Vale, a lot closer. Why wouldn't he want to get there as fast as he could?

The other people sleeping in the cabins slowly drifted out onto the deck. There was an air of excitement in the atmosphere. Soon they landed and they all got out. After Piers locked the cabin so no demons would be able to enter, they were on their way.

"Aren't we near Champa?" Sheba asked Piers.

"Yes, but we can get to Kalay through here if we rent or make a canoe," he explained. They entered the town and negotiated with a man called Briggs and borrowed a canoe manned by the Champa to get them to where they needed to go. The trip took some time, but it was still light out when they arrived in Kalay. They didn't stay long, just one day. For some reason Ivan was very anxious to get going.

"Why is Ivan like that?" Kagome asked Mia as they hustled out at dawn.

"He was raised here by Master Hammet, the ruler of this place. I guess he thinks that if he sees him again, he won't be able to make himself leave."

Close to evening, they caught sight of Vault. "Does anyone want to stop here or go on to Vale?" Felix asked. There was a unanimous vote to go on, but the closer they got, the more slowly they seemed to move.

As they got closer to their goal, Jenna exclaimed, "Finally! We've reached Vale."

Garet looked very apprehensive and didn't say anything. "What's the matter, Garet?" Sheba asked. "You're finally home again. Aren't you happy?"

Ivan answered her. "Garet's just worried about what's happened to everyone in Vale."

"So it's just over that last hill?" Mia asked, panting slightly. They had traveled a good distance and with little breaks, so it was no surprise she was tired.

"I can't wait to see what your hometown looks like," Piers said excitedly.

"It's beautiful," Kraden assured the Mercury Adept. "I'm sure you'll like it, Piers."

Eric and Arianna hung back, however. "I'm…just going to close my eyes," Eric stated. "Someone tell me if it's all right to open them."

"Me, too," Arianna copied her husband. "Would someone else see how things are?"

"I'll go," Isaac offered. "Come with me, Felix." He and Felix started hiking up the last hill that hid their home from view.

"How's it look, Isaac?" Kyle asked from below them.

"I'm almost there," his son replied. He reached the top and stopped. "It…It can't be…"

"What is it, Isaac?" Jenna asked anxiously. When he didn't answer, she turned to her brother. "Felix? Say something!"

Felix was breathing hard. "I'm sorry, Jenna, but…Vale…Mt. Aleph…They're gone!"

"What?" Garet exploded.

The rest of the group ran up, and Garet and Kyle joined Isaac to overlook what used to by their home while Felix drew back. The glorious mountain, Mt. Aleph, was sinking right before their eyes. The setting sun cast a red hue on everything, giving the scene an eerie quality.

"This…This is terrible," whispered Eric.

"Is that Mt. Aleph?" Arianna asked faintly, unable to believe her own eyes.

"Mom…" Isaac said softly.

"Dora…" Kyle echoed his son.

"Mom…Dad…" Poor Garet had no one; his entire family was in Vale.

Jenna stepped forward hesitantly. "Isaac…Garet…What can I do? What can I say to comfort you? They're here somewhere…They have to be here…"

"What can we do?" Piers whispered quietly. "How can we help them now?"

Kraden shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted. "Call out to them…Such a tragedy…"

Felix stepped forward. "I'll call them," he said, his voice heavy with sorrow. "Isaac…Garet…" he called, moving forward to them. "I understand what you're feeling. I've felt it, too. But standing here won't bring them back. Let's go back to Vault. We can rest there and think…"

Isaac and Kyle stood there, gazing at the ruins that used to be there home, oblivious to Felix's attempt to reach them. But Garet heard him.

"Your family's safe, Felix," he said numbly. "You don't have anything to worry about anymore…But what am I supposed to do? …I'm all alone now." He trailed off.

"Aw…Poor baby…" Sheba said, her tone teasing.

"Sheba, what's gotten into you?" Jenna asked, shocked at the fourteen-year-old's behavior. "How could you say that to Garet?"

"Tee hee!" Mia giggled. "I wonder…"

Garet whirled around, tears flowing freely from his eyes and disbelief on his face. "Sheba, Mia? You think this is funny? I've lost everyone! My whole family!"

"Garet! Don't be so sad!" a voice said.

Isaac spun around, confusion on his face.

"I'd thought you might be a little more confident after all your adventures!" another voice said.

"Ha ha! I got to see my brother crying!" a small child's voice laughed.

Garet looked like a fish out of water; his mouth was moving, but no sounds were coming out. Turning around, Kagome saw Garet's whole family standing behind them.

"So you made it back, Garet," Mike, his dad, stated. "I knew it would take more than this to beat you, Son."

"Welcome home, Garet," his mother, Mina, said.

The mayor of Vale, Garet's grandfather, laughingly added, "You look surprised to see us, Garet."

"How did you survive?" Kyle stammered, just as surprised to see them as Garet.

"The Wise One warned us of danger," Katie, Garet's older sister, informed him. "He guided us here to safety."

"Everything was destroyed," Garet's grandmother sighed. "Our homes, our town…"

"But the Wise One saved you all?" Kraden asked, wanting to confirm what was on all their minds.

Garet looked like he would collapse any moment. "I'm…I'm not alone!" he murmured, a relieved grin crossing his features.

"If you all made it out, did Dora as well?" Kraden wanted to know.

They looked to their left, and the travelers followed their gaze. There, standing alone on the path, was Dora.

"Dora…" Kyle breathed.

"…Mom…" Isaac murmured, relief in every feature of his body.

Dora smiled. "Welcome home, Kyle…Isaac…"

"You survived!" Kyle exclaimed.

"So did you…" she answered.

Moving swiftly, Isaac and Kyle ran to her, and she held them both in her arms. That seemed to break the tension, and the travelers followed Garet's family to Vault, where the Valeans had taken refuge from Mt. Aleph. From there the group split, with Ivan, Mia, and Garet talking to the mayor of Vale. Jenna seemed to sense that Felix was feeling very out-of-place, so she jumped on his back, much to the amusement of onlookers. Piers and Sheba watched Jenna roughhouse with her older brother, as did Eric and Arianna. Kraden was talking to the Healer of Vale, which left Kagome to fend for herself.

"A little too crowded for your taste?" a voice asked by her side. Startled, she turned and saw a smiling woman.

"A little," she admitted. "It's a bit disconcerting."

"Are you from Vale?"

"No, sorry."

"Come, I'll take you to the inn, then. These people are here because their homes were destroyed when Mt. Aleph started sinking," the woman explained as they started walking away.

"Oh, I heard that," Kagome stated. "I was there when the new people heard."

"Wouldn't you be from Vale, then?" the woman asked, puzzled.

Kagome shook her head. "I met them in Contigo, and they invited me to join them since I had nowhere else to go."

They stopped in front of the inn. "Well, if that's the case, then they probably mean for you to stay with them," the woman said. "In case they don't, though, this is the inn. Enjoy your stay." She left.

_Now what? Do I go back, or should I just check in and stay here? I'd rather not live off their charity, but that's exactly what I did a couple years ago._

"Kagome!" someone shouted.

She turned in the voice's direction and saw Garet running towards her, waving. When he caught up he doubled over, panting. "What's the rush?" she asked as he got his breath back.

"We noticed that you weren't here, so we started looking for you," he informed her, unintentionally making her feel guilty. He looked at the building they were standing in front of. "Were you going to stay at the inn?" he asked.

"I was thinking about it since I have nowhere else to go," she answered.

He laughed. "We don't have a home either, but we don't have to stay in the inn," he said. "The people here are generously sharing their homes with us. You could stay with one of them."

"Oh, I couldn't do that," she protested. "It wasn't my home that was destroyed; it would feel like I was taking advantage of their hospitality. Besides, you need it more than I do."

"Well, if you really want to stay here, I guess you can, but come back," he pleaded. "You're not the only person who's a stranger here. Piers, Sheba, Mia, and Ivan haven't been here before, either, so you could stay with them."

After much cajoling, he finally got her to come back, but only after she had paid for a room and set her stuff in it. Going back to the mini-party, she immediately saw where the non-Valeans were, as they were standing in one corner by themselves and looking uncomfortable. She and Garet joined them, and Garet started working his magic, being the complete goofball he was and getting everyone more relaxed. Gradually he brought them into the midst of the Valeans and had them talking to someone. Luckily Kagome was entertaining a young child who wouldn't remember her from three years ago.

"So where are you from?" the child asked innocently.

"Oh, here and there," Kagome answered while not answering at the same time.

"I've never been there," the child said solemnly. "This is the first time I've been out of Vale."

"I see."

"Were you there when the Lighthouses were lit?" he asked excitedly.

_How do I answer this?_ "I was there for two of them, but I wasn't with them," she finally said, pointing to Piers and Sheba, who were talking with a group of adults. "I saw them light them, but they don't know I was there, so I wouldn't mention it." She put a finger on her lips and winked conspiratorially. The boy nodded eagerly and smiled back at her.

The boy's mother called him back, so he waved good-bye and ran off. Having nothing else to do, she wandered over to Mia and started talking to her. "Hey, do you know where these people are housing you?" she asked.

The blue-haired girl shook her head. "I was just going to stay in the Sanctum," she replied. "Why?"

"The Sanctum isn't exactly the best place to stay," Kagome pointed out. "If you want, you could always stay with me. I got a room at the inn, and if you and the rest of your group who isn't from Vale still need a place to stay, you're all welcome."

Mia smiled brightly. "You know, I think we'd all like that," she said gratefully. "Let's go ask." They found Ivan still talking with Garet's grandfather, and he welcomed the idea joyfully. Once they located Piers and Sheba again, they too accepted her offer. The one thing they all insisted on was helping pay for the board; after all, it wasn't fair that they all stayed in there and she was the only one paying.

As it grew late, they said good-bye to Felix, Jenna, Garet, and Isaac, as they would be staying with their parents, and left for the room. They told the innkeeper about the increase in guests, and she gave them the adjoining room, for a price, of course. They decided that the girls would stay in the original room since Kagome's stuff was already in there, and the boys would get the adjoining room.

"So, what do you guys think of this place?" Kagome asked them.

"I think it's nice," Mia said. "There's no snow like in Imil, but it's not bad."

"It's different than Lalivero, too," Sheba said. "Lalivero is a desert town, so there's sand and lots of heat with little greenery. This place is full of growing things."

"How does it compare to your home?" Mia asked Kagome. Sheba also turned to look at her expectantly.

"Well, it's different than my home, too," Kagome stammered, buying time to figure out what she should tell them. "There were a lot of trees near my home, though not all over the city. This place is also a lot smaller than my town." The two listeners nodded; Vault _was_ a pretty small town. She was considering what to say next when a yawn startled her. "Well, I guess that's all the excitement I can take for tonight," she said. "Good night, guys."

They said good night to her and went to their respective beds. Kagome's eyes were closed and she was facing the wall, but her ears still worked and could hear what Mia and Sheba were saying.

"I think that's the first time she's described her home," Mia whispered to the younger girl.

"Yeah," Sheba agreed. "She's been traveling with us for a while, and we still don't know all that much about her. Felix seems smitten with her, though."

"I noticed. He seems more open when she's around. I wonder why that is."

"I asked him about her. He couldn't tell me much, but his eyes grew soft when he spoke of her. He said she reminded him of someone he knew three years ago, but she died in Prox."

"Oh," Mia breathed softly. "Poor Felix! He was taken by those two monsters, and the only person that was his age died. No wonder he was so cold when I met him."

"Actually, he seemed very close to Saturos and Menardi," Sheba corrected her, sounding thoughtful. "I could never see why, but he said that they looked after him. They treated him like he was their inferior, in my opinion, but he just accepted it. When I asked him why he let them do that, he just said that they were under a lot of stress and weren't normally like that. I didn't believe him; I still don't. Then there were times that he thought they were evil. We weren't past the Suhalla Gate when Felix defied Saturos. Saturos wanted me to do something, and Felix didn't want me to. Saturos was going to make me anyway, but Felix punched him in the jaw. Saturos didn't make me do whatever it was, but Felix felt bad about hitting him. He tried to apologize, but Saturos wouldn't even look at him; neither would Menardi. Later I tried to make him feel better, but he kept shaking his head, saying it was wrong of him to put more stress on that monster than he already had."

"I don't understand him," Mia sighed. "He seems like such a nice person when he opens up, yet he wouldn't tell us what you were doing until Isaac forced him at Jupiter Lighthouse."

"He didn't want to get Isaac and Garet in trouble," Sheba answered. "If he had his way, he would've left Jenna and Kraden out of it also, maybe even me and Piers, too. He knew he was violating Vale's teachings by lighting the Lighthouses, and while he knew it had to be done, he wanted to play 'the bad guy' alone. That's why he didn't mingle with the rest of the Valeans as much as the other three."

"We'd better get some sleep," Mia sighed. "If we keep talking, we might wake up Kagome."

They stopped talking, but they had already given Kagome more than enough food for thought. _What happened to them? What could they have wanted to do that would actually make Felix hit Saturos? He would've sooner cut off his own head than hurt Saturos._

These thoughts didn't help her sleep much, and she was still sleepy-eyed the next morning, and her roommates noticed. "Is something wrong?" Mia asked her in concern.

"Oh, I'm fine," she lied. "I just kept waking up last night, that's all."

"I can help you if you have that problem again," Sheba offered.

"Thanks," Kagome said gratefully. "I might take you up on that." Her stomach grumbled, causing her to blush. "Well, I think someone is telling me something," she said sheepishly, her hand behind her head.

"Then by all means, let's eat!" Sheba exclaimed, laughing. They left the room, and Sheba knocked on the boys' door. "Hey, you two up yet?" she asked.

A groan came from the other side of the door, and a still half-asleep Ivan opened the door. "What?" he mumbled, voice heavy with sleep, not registering what they wanted or why they were covering their mouths, trying not to laugh.

"It's time to get up," Mia sang out.

"Oh, no," Ivan groaned and tried to close the door, but Sheba pushed it back open, flattening poor Ivan on the opposite side. "Why are you torturing us?" he asked.

"We need to get a move-on," Kagome informed him. "Now where's Piers?" She looked into the room and saw him still asleep on the bed. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she pulled the covers back enough to reveal his face looking peaceful. That wasn't going to last very long. Rising, she pulled open the blinds, which shone right on his face. "Rise and shine," she said.

Piers mumbled something and pulled the covers over his head again. "I don't think so," she stated, pulling them back down, this time revealing a well muscled, bare torso. _Uh-oh. Better not pull them down any further,_ she noted.

"What do you want?" Piers asked sleepily, one arm shielding his eyes from the painful light and the other supporting him as he sat up.

"You're not wearing your headdress," she said, noticing that it was missing for the first time since she'd known him. His long, blue hair was braided, she noted.

"Do you think I sleep with it on?" he growled. "That had better not be the reason you woke me up."

Getting over the shock of seeing him without his headband, she grinned. "We need to go eat," she informed him. "We figured we might as well see if you two were up yet."

"I wasn't." He wasn't completely awake, and his temper was beginning to show. It wasn't bad, nothing like Inuyasha in a snit, but it was a lot worse than usual; normally Piers never lost his cool or used a harsh tone with anyone.

"Come on," she said playfully. "We need to find the rest of our friends and see what we're doing next."

He glared at her unhappily. "Fine," he sighed, giving in. She stood up and he swung his legs over the side of the bed, standing. She almost cried out, but he was wearing some sort of leggings, so she collapsed on the bed again, breathing hard and blushing madly. Glancing up, she saw Piers looking at her strangely. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she gasped. "I just thought…you might not be wearing anything when I saw you without a shirt."

He stared at her, as did the rest of the room. Then he threw his head back and laughed. This set off everyone else, even Kagome. Piers fell back on his bed, still laughing heartily. "I forgot you didn't share a room like the rest of us did," he choked out. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"I forgot to warn her," Sheba gasped. "I'm sorry, Kagome. He always slept like that while we were out, but you never saw that."

"It's okay," she assured the younger girl, tears streaming down her face still. "I'll just, um, go downstairs and grab a table." She shakily stood up and stumbled to the door. "I'll join you," everyone shouted except for Piers, who was still laughing and shaking his head.

When he came downstairs, she was still blushing. "So did anyone order?" he asked Mia.

"Yeah. We ordered something Sheba thought you might like."

He shot her an inquiring look. "It's just catfish," she told him. "I didn't know if you were going to be adventuresome today, so I ordered seafood for you."

"Thank you," he said. "I think I've had my fill of excitement for today. Are we meeting the rest of our group sometime soon?"

"They should be coming here sometime," Ivan answered as their food arrived. "I don't know when, but they said it would be easier than us trying to find them."

"Well, speak of the devil," Kagome commented as she spotted them coming through the door. Then she noted that her table buddies were staring at her strangely. "It's just an expression from home," she said quickly, laughing nervously.

Their four friends joined them at their table. "So, how did you guys sleep?" Jenna asked. They recounted the events of that morning to those who missed it, and the whole table was soon laughing again.

"I wish I could've seen that," Garet managed to get out between bouts of laughter.

Kagome was as red as a cherry by this time. "What are we doing today?" she asked, wanting to get off the subject.

"They've started rebuilding Vale," Isaac said. "I'm going to help since it's my home, too."

"That doesn't mean we can't do anything," Sheba said indignantly. "Can't we help?"

"You can if you want to, but it's a lot of work," Felix warned her. "Besides, this isn't your home. Wouldn't you rather go back to Lalivero?"

She bit her lip. "I do love my family," she said slowly, "but I'd rather stay here. Do you want me to leave?"

"Of course not," Felix denied immediately. "I was just thinking that you might want to let Faran know you're alright."

"He's right, you know," Piers backed him up when Sheba still hesitated. "Tell you what. I'll take you to Lalivero, and once you've told him, I'll bring you back."

"What about Ivan?" Sheba demanded. "He's not from around here. Shouldn't he tell Lord Hammet and Lady Layana about this?"

"They already knew that I had to go with them," Ivan told her, looking down at his now empty plate. "Still, I guess I should go back to Kalay and tell them I'm staying."

"Okay, I'll take both of you." Piers turned to Kagome. "What about you?"

"I was a wanderer before I met you," she reminded him. "I have no ties to any town in Weyard."

"I'm sorry," Mia said, patting her arm sympathetically.

"Don't be," Kagome said, brushing her words aside. "Reliving the past doesn't make it come back."_ If only I could practice what I preach._

"Now that I'm thinking about it, I should go back to Imil and see how Megan and Justin are doing," Mia murmured.

"We'll just make another stop at Imil if that's what you want," Piers said cheerfully. Mia brightened considerably at that.

"Will you stay or move on?" Jenna asked Kagome while Mia talked things over with Piers.

"I'll stay and help rebuild, I guess," she said. "I have nothing better to do with my time. Once it's done, we'll see."

Isaac stood up. "Well, if we're done here, then let's get to work. Are you guys leaving now or later?" The last question was address to Piers, Sheba, Mia, and Ivan.

"I think we'd better leave now," Piers answered. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back, and the faster we can get this over with."

"Let's go to Kalay first," Sheba suggested. "I have a feeling Faran won't want to part with me easily, so we may have to leave in a hurry." The four of them said their good-byes and left.

"Well, then, let's get a move-on," Isaac said, heading out the door with the rest of them in tow.


	16. Chapter 16

**Okay, I was able to get through my first week of school, and get my driver's license. Yay! Sorry for not updating; I was really busy.**

**Musashi the Master: The story's coming along very well. I don't know if I'm going to do any more Golden Sun crossovers, but I might. If I did, they'd probably be with Inuyasha again, or maybe a what-if crossover branch from my other stories. I'm glad you still like the story. Once I'm done posting this one, I might work on another Golden Sun one. We'll see.**

**Savinglifelessness: I missed you! Glad you're back with us. Anyway, Felix thinks that the Kagome he knew is dead, so even if she looks like the same one, he'll think it's impossible. Once people have an idea in their heads, it's very hard to get them to change their minds.**

**Wildfire Dreams: Piers won't be going home to Lemuria now. I think if he tried, he'd not be allowed in, or something to that extent. Right now he's just going to make some runs with Mia, Sheba, and Ivan.**

&&

They were building their new Vale a few miles away from the sunken Mt. Aleph. Kagome wasn't sure that was the smartest thing, but she was assured that it was quite safe, so she accepted it. With her room buddies all gone, she just stayed by herself. At times, Jenna would stay with her so she wouldn't get too lonely, and they grew close again.

Apparently the work force was split, so people were helping each other rebuild their homes. It was quite effective because as they finished one person's house, they would move on to the next person's, until all the homes in the group were complete. Then they would help someone else rebuild their home, and pretty soon it was a town again.

Piers, Mia, Ivan, and Sheba came back after a several weeks passed and helped Isaac, Garet, and Felix's families build their homes. Once those were done, they built homes for themselves. They were a bit young to live by themselves, so Piers, Sheba, Ivan, and Mia decided to stay together and just build one house. Kagome was invited to stay with them, but she declined, saying she wasn't sure that she would stay in Vale.

Everyone settled in their new homes a few days after the last house was finished, and they began their new lives. Except Kagome. Lately she had been suffering nightmares about the final battle with Naraku, and they wouldn't go away. She was afraid of her housemates finding out about it and decided it was time for a change in scenery.

_It would be nice to stay here, but they don't know who I really am, and I'm not sure I'm ready to tell them. I mean, Felix would think I abandoned him even when I didn't have a choice. Maybe I should just travel around a bit, just to clear my head. Besides, I'm not used to staying in one place for a long period of time; my time in the Feudal Era took care of that!_ Kagome stood up in the room she was borrowing from Piers' home and packed her bag again. Swinging it over her shoulder, she walked downstairs to where everyone was, including Felix, Isaac, Garet, and Jenna.

They turned to look at her when she came down and noticed her strange bag. "Going somewhere?" Isaac asked.

She smiled sadly. "I think it's time for me to move on," she announced.

Their faces immediately fell. "Why?" Jenna cried.

"I need to clear my head," she said sadly. "I'm getting restless. Don't worry, I'll come back eventually," she assured them.

"Did you want company?" Ivan offered. "Some of us could go with you."

She shook her head. "No, I'll be fine on my own."

"Where will you go?" Garet asked.

She shrugged. "Wherever the wind blows me," she said, not answering.

"It's already dark out," Mia pointed out. "How about you wait for tomorrow before you leave."

"I'll be fine," she told the Mercury Adept. "If I don't go now, I don't think you'll ever let me go. Don't worry about me; I'll come back, I promise."

"Don't forget," Ivan warned.

"I promised, and I don't break my promises." Walking over to them, she hugged them each in turn and walked out the door, Felix following her.

Once outside, he asked her to wait. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, his eyes begging her to say no.

"Yes, Felix," she sighed.

"I'll go with you," he pleaded.

"I'm going alone," she said firmly. "It's not that I don't like your company; quite the contrary, actually. However, I need to get away from everything right now. Say good-bye to your parents for me. Oh, and everyone else." She flashed him a smile and started walking quickly away before she could change her mind. Her heart was breaking, leaving this place behind, but she needed to get rid of her excess energy.

Once the town was out of sight, she took out her flashlight so she could see where she was going. She keenly felt the absence of her friends in Vale, but more acutely, her friends from the Feudal Era. Usually when she was traveling like this, it was because she had felt the call of the Jewel shards, and Inuyasha was pushing them on so they could get them before Naraku. That would never happen again.

Not paying attention to where she was going, she had wandered into a thickly wooded area. "Well, I might as well stay here," she said out loud to herself. Finding a clearing with a giant tree standing alone in the center, she threw her stuff down by its roots and leaned against it. Making a shield around herself with her priestess powers that she hadn't used since coming here, she slept.

She woke when the sun hit her eyes. The nightmares had come again, but she couldn't free herself from them, and wasn't very rested. Still, it was better than nothing. Standing up, she stretched and looked around. There were no reasons she could see why there were no trees growing around this one. Curious, she turned around and started examining the tree. It was huge, the biggest tree in the area. She started walking around it, but there was nothing she could see that would make the trees around her refuse to grow near it.

Arriving back at her bag, she noticed some stones covered in vines and sticking out of the ground. She would have passed them by, but a second look told her that these weren't natural. Their sides were flat, and the top was curved, much like a tombstone. Looking closer at the front, she saw symbols that looked hauntingly familiar.

Now dreading what she would find, she dug a small hole in front of the third stone until she felt something hard and smooth. Picking it up, she opened her hand; it was the locket she had buried with Inuyasha. With trembling hands she opened it; there was her face on the right, and Inuyasha's on the left.

"It's not possible," she denied, her voice and body trembling. "It didn't even happen on the same world. Does this mean…?" She stood on shaking legs and started walking. A few seconds later, the old Bone Eater's Well came into view, looking as battered as ever. Figuring she had nothing to lose, she leaped over the edge and into the well. Absolutely nothing happened. Not that she expected anything to happen, but still, it was disappointing. Climbing back out, she walked back to her bag, feeling the peace of the Goshinboku wash over her.

She looked back at the graves of her friends. Kneeling down, she tore the vines off from the gravestones and saw the writing had faded somewhat. "This won't do," she muttered and, taking out her knife, rewrote the words, remembering them as clearly as the day she wrote them the first time. Those graves decided her. "I'm staying here."

Now she would be close to them. The small desire to return to Vale and forget the past vanished, leaving not a trace. "I have a lot of work to do if this is where I'm going to spend the rest of my life." There was no chance of her leaving now. Uncovering the rest of the vines, she revealed Sango's Hiraikotsu and Miroku's shakujo. _My friends…_

She walked a few paces away, looking for a good spot. Trees were going to have to fall; there was no way around it. _I have the power of Venus. I can make those trees fall over._ Focusing her mind, she pulled the trees up with her mind and toppled them. _I have no idea where to begin in building a house. This will all have to be trial and error, I suppose. Wait! I helped them rebuild Vale! If I can just remember everything, I'll be okay._

Lucky for her, she could recall how the men had built the houses, and her power allowed her to do the work all by herself without using several strong men. It took her days, and her food supply noticeably dwindled, but she didn't give up until she had finished. It didn't look like a Valean home; she had modified it to make it more like her home in Tokyo. That method had failed many times, but after many failures, she found a way to make it stay.

Instead of using just wood to build her home, she had fired bricks and used those on the outside. Now there wasn't as much danger of her house burning down as there would have been if she had only used wood. She added pipes in the walls and beneath her foundation even though she didn't have a water source yet; she could figure that out later.

Once her home was finished, Kagome settled herself down by the roots of the God Tree and closed her eyes, using her Mercury power to locate an underground water source. She eventually did find one, but it was many miles off. Resigning herself to her new task, she started mentally digging a tunnel for the water to run through.

This took her even longer, and soon she was almost at the bottom of her bag. Still, she kept at it, making a new reservoir for the water to run into that was less than a mile from her new house. From there she dug new tunnels from the water to her pipes, and let nature take over. Now her house had running water.

Looking in her bag, she realized that if she didn't get more food, and quick, she would either have to eat leaves and grass or starve. She could always go up the mountains and find something, she supposed, but she might not find anything. To her delight, she had discovered that a little ways from the back of her house the trees ended and the mountains began. Anyway, she brought out her sack of coins, shouldered her bow, arrows, knife, and bag, and set out in the direction of Vale. It wasn't very far, actually, and took her only a few minutes to get free of her forest and onto the path. After a short time, she could see the town ahead of her.

_I hope they aren't too upset with me,_ she thought nervously. _I've been gone for weeks now and haven't even stopped by. Who knows, maybe they've forgotten me. Again. Well, in that case, I won't have to worry about giving them excuses why I have to leave._

Just like the first time she had shown up in Vale, those years ago, the place was devoid of all children. When they saw who it was, though, word got around that it wasn't a threat coming, and the children came out again. Kagome made a beeline for the item shop and, after saying hello to the girl who sold the stuff, bought not only food, but also seeds; like Kaede, she was going to grow what she could.

Once that was done, she looked down at her knife, which was dismally dull. _I need to buy a sharpening stone, and probably another one in case I need it._ Stepping quickly into the weapons' shop, she purchased another short knife and a long knife along with the stone. She paid the man and walked back out into the sunshine, unsure what to do next. _I guess I should stop by and see if they're home,_ she thought. _I owe them that much, at least._ She walked down the rows of houses, trying to remember which ones belonged to her friends.

"Kagome!" shouted someone from behind her. "You're back!"

She spun around and saw the boy she spoke with when she had returned to Vault with the others. "Hi," she said uncertainly.

"I can't believe you're back," he said. "When you didn't come back for a few weeks they said it wasn't likely you would ever return."

"Well, here I am," she told him, not sure what else to say. "Um, it's been a while since I've been here. Do you know where Piers lives?"

The boy nodded energetically. "Yup. Follow me." He bounded off, and Kagome followed at a more sedate pace. He stopped in front of the place and turned around to face her. "Here it is," he announced.

"Thank you," she said gratefully.

"No problem," he answered, skipping off.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. _Here goes nothing._ She forced one foot to go in front of the other until she arrived at the door. Raising one trembling fist, she knocked three times. She waited a few seconds, then decided that no one was home. Spinning on her heel, she walked quickly away, but then heard the door open and stopped. Facing the door, she smiled at an astonished Ivan. "Hey, I'm back," she said softly.

A grin lit up his face. "Kagome!" he shouted, running up to her. "We missed you."

She put a hand behind her head. "I'm sorry I was gone so long," she apologized sheepishly. "I was busy."

"Come in," he urged, taking her hand and practically pulling her into the house. "The others will be glad to see you, too." He dragged her to the entrance to the living room, but hid her from view of those already in there. "Hey, guess who showed up today?" he asked teasingly.

"Hamma," Piers said absently.

"Nope," Ivan laughed.

"I haven't seen you this excited in a while," Mia noted from her position on the floor, where she was trying to put together a puzzle. "Who is it?"

"She's back," he announced, pulling Kagome into view.

"Hi," she said nervously, waving her hand slightly. Looking in, she saw that it wasn't just the inhabitants of the house that were here; it was everyone.

"Kagome!" Sheba leaped out of her chair and flew to her, wrapping her arms around the other girl. "I can't believe you're back!"

That seemed to break the tension. "Well, I did promise," Kagome said indignantly. "Did you think I would break it?"

"We weren't sure," she answered impishly. They others were talking at once so she couldn't understand what they were saying, but she sensed that they were welcoming her back. All around she got hugged until she felt like she was going to be drowned in them.

After a few hours, she saw that the sun was beginning to disappear over the hills. "Um, it was nice seeing you guys again," she said, "but I think it's time for me to leave."

Immediately their faces fell. "What?" asked Garet dumbly. "I thought you were going to stay this time."

She felt guilty about doing this to them, but she knew she couldn't stay here; her stuff was back at her house, after all. "No, I just came to see how everyone was doing, just like I promised."

"So you're still wandering?" Jenna asked. "Where's your bag?"

"No, I don't wander anymore," she answered. "I live in a place not far from here, but I need to get back."

"Is someone waiting for you?" Sheba asked innocently. Everyone slightly leaned in, eager to hear her answer, and some dreading it.

She laughed. "No, I live alone," she assured them. "But there are things I need to tend to, and I wouldn't want to impose on anyone."

"You wouldn't be imposing," Isaac spoke up. "I'm sure anyone here would lend you a place to say." Every voice seconded that comment.

"If you're sure." She gave in. This brought on a debate as to whom she was going to stay with. For some of them, it almost came to blows, but she sensed it coming, courtesy of her time with Inuyasha and Koga, and stated quite firmly, "I'll just stay here, if that's okay with you guys."

The current residents quickly agreed. Glad to have finally gotten that out of the way without any blood being spilled, Kagome talked with them a bit more to catch up on the local news. The one person who didn't talk very much was Felix. Not that that wasn't like him, but his eyes seemed to watch her every move, as if he couldn't believe she was really there.


	17. Chapter 17

**SphereShadow: I have a little time, so I'm updating. I should probably be working on my homework, but oh, well. Glad you like the chapter. Hopefully the rest of them won't be boring.**

**SlayerIssac: Nice of you to drop a line. The end isn't in sight because…I haven't quite reached the end yet. This is a Felix/Kagome story, and they haven't even gotten together. Don't worry, that'll come soon enough, and I'll end this story, and you can go on and read a different one. Anyway, enjoy.**

&&

When darkness had truly fallen, the four Valeans had to leave, but they made her promise to come by and see them before she left again. "So, where have you been hiding?" Mia asked as they sat back down by the fire.

"Not too far from here, actually," she answered, looking at her housemates for the evening. "There's a wooded area a few minutes from here, and I live near the foot of the mountains."

"I haven't been there," Piers stated thoughtfully. "Maybe I'll come by and visit sometime."

"Feel free," she replied. "There's no one else around, so any company is good company."

Ivan yawned. "I'm sorry, but I need to go to bed," he said, smiling sleepily. "I'll see you all in the morning. Good night."

They decided to follow his example and went to their respective room, Mia showing Kagome where she would be staying. Not used to staying up very late, Kagome woke when the sun shone through her window and hit her squarely in the face. Moaning, Kagome drew the covers over her head, but she was not allowed to sleep in. "Good morning, Kagome," she heard Piers' cheery voice through the blankets.

"Are you doing this to pay me back for that time in Vault?" she asked wearily.

"Partly." Just like she did, he yanked the covers back from her head. She winced when the light hit her eyes and threw an arm over them.

"You are evil, Piers," she grumbled. "Don't you have anything better to do with your time than bother weary wanderers?"

"Nope. Well, I did come in to ask you something, but you weren't awake, so I had to wake you up first."

"Well, what did you want?"

"We, being Mia, Ivan, Sheba, and I, wanted to make sure that you were doing okay. I mean, you live by yourself, so what would happen if you got sick or something? We would feel awful."

"So what are you asking?"

"Reconsider living like a hermit. Pick a town; it wouldn't have to be Vale, you could stay in Vault," he added hurriedly.

_He looks genuinely worried about me. Well, he doesn't know that my miko powers would let me heal myself. I'll be okay._ "I thank you for your concern, but I'll be fine. Really." She could tell he didn't believe her, but she didn't blame him. "Well, now that I'm up, I might as well be on my way." She stood, as did Piers. "Thank you for letting me stay here with you guys," she said, hugging him. "It was nice seeing you again."

"Drop by any time," he told her, the two of them walking out the door. "In fact, drop by often."

She smiled. "I may not be able to do that, but we'll see." She said good-bye to the other three and headed out the door. _Now, where does Garet live?_

Following the directions the people gave her, she found the mayor's house, which was also where Garet and his family lived. She knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. The door opened, revealing Garet's older sister, Katie. "Oh, I didn't know you were back," she said, sounding surprised.

"I'm not," she told her. "I just told Garet that I'd stop by on my way out, that's all."

"Did you want to come in?" she asked, stepping back.

"Sure." She walked in, looking around curiously.

"Garet, Kagome's here," Katie called, walking out.

The sound of running reached Kagome's ears, and a few seconds later, there was Garet himself sliding through the door. "Good, you didn't forget," he panted.

The sight looked so ridiculous that she burst out laughing. "No, I didn't forget," she gasped. "I'm leaving now, so I dropped by. I don't know when I'll be back, so I guess I'll see you later."

"Wait, you said you didn't live far from here. How far is not far?"

She just smiled secretively. "It's in the woods near the mountains," she told him. "Feel free to look for me anytime." She was out the door before he could say anything else. She went to Isaac's house next, which was right next to Garet's; she remembered that much. After saying good-bye to the family, she started searching for Felix and Jenna's home. This required directions from various people wandering around.

"Kagome!" Jenna squealed when she saw Kagome at her door. "You're leaving now?"

"Yeah, but it's not like I'll be gone forever," she assured her. "There are things that I need to replace every so often, so I'll be coming here when I need something."

"Will you wait for a second? Felix wants to say bye, too. Hey, Felix," she called, sticking her head inside the house. "Kagome's here to say good-bye."

He showed up at the door a couple seconds later, a book in his hand. _He's just like Saturos was._ "Um, good-bye," she said uncertainly as he watched her with a neutral expression.

"Will you ever come back?" he queried, even his voice holding no emotion.

"Yes. This is the closest town, so it'll be my town of choice to come to when I need something."

Their parents showed up behind them. "We heard Jenna calling Felix," Arianna informed Kagome when she looked at them in surprise. "It was nice of you to stop by before you left. If things go wrong, feel free to stay with us."

"Okay," she thanked her. "Well, I'd better get started." Turning, she walked away from the house, waving over her shoulder at the family of four.

It took less time to leave the village than she thought, and was soon back in her woods. _I need to make a path or something,_ she thought irritably as she whacked her way through the underbrush. _This could get very tedious._

Soon her home was within sight, but she didn't go in. Instead, she knelt by the Goshinboku. "Sango, Miroku, Inuyasha, Shippo, Kirara, Koga," she murmured as her gaze went to each gravestone. "I will be strong and take care of your graves. I will make you proud of me." She stood and entered the house.

Putting her weapons in her room where Hiraikotsu and the shakujo also resided and setting the bag of supplies and seeds in the kitchen, she went outside again. _Where to put the garden?_ she wondered. _The sun doesn't really hit the ground anywhere near here. These trees are going to have to come down._ She sighed. _I don't want to use my Psynergy for this; it's so tiring. I'll just have to think about how I want to do this._

Defeated, she went inside. Inspiration struck her. "I can use Hiraikotsu!" she exclaimed out loud. _I'll need to learn how to hold it and such, but it shouldn't be too hard._

How wrong she was. Once she decided to learn to use both Hiraikotsu and the shakujo, she found out how hard it was just to pick up the boomerang. Once she could lift it for over a minute ("How did Sango carry this thing for days on end?"), she tried throwing it; she failed dismally. To train her arms, she started carrying it everywhere she went. It made doing things difficult, but then she just switched it to her back, like Sango often did. She wanted to quit, but every time she felt like that, she would look at their graves, steel herself, and keep going. If her friends could do it, then so could she! In memory of her time with them, she also donned the garb of the priestess. What good that did, she didn't know, but it made her feel closer to them.

Before she knew it, snow blanketed the ground. When she woke up and saw snow, she was disconcerted for a minute or two. _How long have I been here? How old am I?_ Checking the calendar she had made, she was surprised to discover that it was already December. "I'm nineteen," she said out loud. _I forgot my own birthday! Not like it matters. There's still work to do, and standing here won't get it done any faster._ She found her feet again and went outside with the faithful Hiraikotsu on her back and the shakujo in her hand.

She was practicing holding it in one hand and spinning it while still holding it when the sound of a child crying reached her ears. Alarmed because she knew demons lived in the area, she slung Hiraikotsu onto her back and ran in the direction of the child.

Her fears were well founded. A young girl, no more than seven years old, was cowering against a tree several hundred yards away from where she had been practicing, and a wolf demon was in front of her, growling hungrily. Kagome debated throwing Hiraikotsu at it, but knew she wasn't experienced enough with it and could possibly hit the child. Instead, she brought the shakujo up and whacked the demon on the head. Hard. It yelped and bounded backwards.

Opening its red eyes, it snarled and lunged at her, but she used Miroku's staff to hit it hard enough to stop it. In fact, she felt its skull separate from its backbone from the force of her smack. It disappeared, leaving behind an herb and several coins. Gathering the items, she turned to the little girl, who was still huddled by the base of the tree. "Are you hurt?" she asked the child.

She winced when Kagome approached her, her eyes squeezed tightly shut. "D-don't eat me," the child squeaked in her high voice.

Kagome stopped. "I won't hurt you," she assured the child in a soothing voice. "I just want to know if the demon hurt you."

The child looked at her distrustfully, but showed Kagome her left leg. Kagome bit back a gasp. There were deep marks where the demon had bitten the child. _She's lost a lot of blood._ "Come with me," Kagome commanded, reaching for her.

The child looked like she was about to panic, but fainted right before Kagome touched her. _Poor thing, she must be scared out of her wits._ Picking her up, she ran back to her home, cursing her luck that they happened to be quite a distance away.

Maneuvering through the door with Hiraikotsu still on her back, she set the girl on the table before shrugging the giant boomerang off and dropping the shakujo beside it. She grabbed some hand-woven towels from a drawer and put them on the girl's wounds, trying to stem the blood flow. It was only partially successful, but that was all Kagome needed. Taking some makeshift bandages, she wrapped them around the girl's leg and tied the ends together, securing it for the time being.

Then she sat down, looking at the girl. _Odds are she's from Vale, and someone will be looking for her before too long._ Then she noticed how flushed the girl looked._ This isn't good. If she has a fever, then she has to stay here; the Valeans don't have vaccine and won't be able to brush off a fever. I hope she won't try to run; that'll make things worse._

Going to the sink, she got some cold water in a wooden cup and brought it near the girl, thanking Kami that she had figured out how to make the water run through the pipes and thus gave her running water.

The girl stirred, moaning softly, and Kagome leaned her against her arm, bringing the water to her lips with the other hand. "Drink," she urged. "You need water in you."

The child obediently opened her mouth and swallowed the cold water. "Where am I?" she asked weakly, opening her eyes to look into Kagome's warm brown ones.

"Safe," Kagome answered, setting the cup down once she had drained it.

"Are you a healer?" she asked, taking in Kagome's strange appearance.

_I must look strange to her. I'm wearing the clothes of a Shinto priestess. If I saw myself, I'd probably think I was Kikyo!_ "In a way," she said. "You will have to stay here for a little while so you can heal."

"What about my mommy?" the child asked, her eyes filling with tears.

"I will take you to her once you're better," Kagome promised. "Now, let's get you something to eat." She stepped away from the child and walked over to her pantry. Choosing a cloth ball, she took out one of her wooden bowls and set it on the stove. She emptied the contents of the ball into the bowl, piled it in the belly of the stove, and glared at it to set it aflame. Adding water next, she stirred it all with a spoon, also made of wood, and waited for it to heat to the right temperature.

"What is this place?" she heard the child ask behind her.

"I live here," Kagome answered cheerfully.

"Alone?"

"Yes."

"I don't remember anyone living in here."

"How often have you been in this area?"

"Lots of times!"

"Your mother lets you come to the foot of the mountains?"

The child gasped. "I'm not that far!"

"I carried you here; otherwise, I couldn't have treated your wounds."

"I never went this far. Mommy says that there are demons and evil spirits that live near the mountains."

"She's right," Kagome said absently, watching the contents in the bowl begin to steam. "You were attacked by a demon, weren't you?"

"Yes," the girl admitted guiltily. "Mommy told me never to leave Vale without an adult, but I've always been okay. There weren't any demons in that area last time."

"I guess that demon was hungry." Kagome used two towels to grab the bowl off its hotplate and set it on a different one to cool. "Why were you outside Vale?"

"I was getting some berries."

Kagome turned around, her interest piqued. "Berries? When it's snowing?"

The child nodded. "Yeah. Those berries bloom all year around. I wanted some, so I went to get them, but a demon attacked me."

_I need to go back there and see if I can bring some here. That'll give me a change in diet._ "I see. Why didn't you ask someone to go with you?"

"It's my special spot! No one else knows about it."

"But it's dangerous there. If I hadn't heard you, what would've happened?"

The child didn't have an answer to that.

Judging that the soup was ready, she set it and the spoon in front of the child. "Here, eat this," she urged.

"What is it?" the girl asked suspiciously.

"It's soup."

"It's not like any soup I've ever seen." The child took a tiny sip and her face lit up. "What kind of soup is it?" she asked, digging in.

Knowing how children were turned off at the idea of eating healthy things, Kagome just smiled. "Oh, this and that," she answered, smiling.

"When will I go home?" the girl asked sleepily when she finished the soup.

"When you're better," Kagome said, catching her just before she fell off the table. _She must be exhausted. What am I thinking? Of course she's exhausted! She ran from a demon, and now she has to fight a fever. I'm going to be eaten out of house and home if I don't do something. I know! I'll get some of those berry bushes. But I can't just leave her._

Putting her on her own bed, Kagome used her Psynergy to ensure that the child wouldn't wake up while she wasn't here. Then she left, taking Hiraikotsu and the shakujo with her. _Now where did I hear her?_

After a lot of stumbling around in the dark and a lot of cursing under her breath, she arrived at the spot. Looking at the bushes, she came up against a dilemma. _How am I supposed to get these back to the house?_ Getting them out of the ground wasn't the problem; a small earthquake would make the earth push them and their roots out of the ground in no time, but she had no way of getting them back to her house intact. _Wait! I can Teleport them there._ She had recently discovered that she could move things with her mind, including herself. Imagining she was in front of her door with the bushes, she saw the blue bands appear around her body. When the bands disappeared, she was in front of her home with the bushes. _Now I need to make a place to put them._

Selecting a spot in the back, she got the trees out of the way just like she did the bushes, then used her mind to carry said bushes over and bury them in their new home. The trees she would later cut up and use for firewood. Exhausted by her extended use of Psynergy, she stumbled back into the house and fell onto the couch, asleep before she felt herself land.

She didn't realize how deeply she slept until she felt someone shaking her. Groaning, she slowly opened her eyes and saw the girl she rescued looked at her worriedly. "Miss?" the girl said uncertainly.

Kagome sat up. "You need food, don't you?" she asked rhetorically. Standing, she walked into the adjoining room with the child in tow and grabbed another cloth ball. "Did you sleep well?" she asked as she prepared the soup.

"Yes, ma'am," the girl answered. "I'm sorry for taking your bed."

"Don't worry about it," Kagome said. "It's no problem, and you need it more than I do right now. Here, eat up." She set the bowl and spoon in front of the girl and watched as she attacked it ravenously. "I'll be right back." She took a bucket out of one of the cupboards and stepped out into the back. There were berries on some of the bushes she had taken, and she took some of the ones that looked ready to be eaten. It barely took up a quarter of the small bucket she had taken, but she took it back inside and washed them as the child watched.

"Are those berries?" the child asked, wide-eyed.

"Yes, they are," Kagome replied. "Just like the ones you sneak out of Vale to get. Here." She put some of them in a different bowl and set it in front of the child. "You have a fever, so you need to keep eating."

When she said 'fever', the child paled. "I'm going to die, aren't I?" she asked fearfully.

"What?" Kagome asked, shocked.

"I'm going to die, just like my brother," the child repeated. "He had a fever, and nothing Mommy or Daddy did could save him." She started crying.

"You are not going to die!" Kagome said forcefully. "I won't let you. Trust me, I can heal you."

The child didn't look like she believed her, but she didn't deny it, either. After a few weeks, the girl, Lara, was completely healed and fever-free. In that time, though, she grew close to Kagome, following her whenever she practiced with her Hiraikotsu or shakujo. She asked to try handling them, but Kagome wouldn't allow that. One, they were too big for her and she would've hurt herself, and two, they belonged to her dear friends, and she wasn't ready to risk letting someone break them. Once the snows disappeared, she also helped her plant her vegetable garden, which was near the berry bushes. She was full of questions, though.

"What are those?" she asked, pointing to the graves of her friends.

"Those are the resting places of my dearest friends," Kagome answered sadly. "They died in battle, and I buried them here."

"What are those symbols?" She pointed to the writing on the tombstones.

"It's writing. Those are written in my native language, so you won't be able to understand them."

"Oh." She never asked about them again. Still, she was very good to have around, and distracted Kagome from her sorrows, but eventually it had to end.

"So, what are we going to do today?" Lara asked, bouncing around Kagome energetically.

"I think you're ready to go home," Kagome answered, laughing.

Lara's face fell. "But if I leave, what will you do?" she asked. "You live all alone. What will you do if I'm not around with you?"

"I was alone before you came along. I was fine then, and I'll be fine again," she assured the young girl. "I will miss you, but what will your parents do?"

"That's true," Lara sighed. "Will you come home with me?"

"I will take you home, but I can't stay there. What would happen to my house?"

"Leave it."

"I can't."

"But I'll miss you." Lara's eyes filled with tears.

"I'll miss you, too, but you can always visit. You know where to find me if you need me."

"Fine," the girl sighed.

Kagome grabbed Hiraikotsu and the shakujo, and they walked out the door, into the forest. Kagome walked slightly ahead of her in case they ran into trouble. Ever since she took Lara in she had heard voices calling for her. Unfortunately, Lara still had the fever, and Kagome couldn't go near them in case she passed it on to them. Night and day she heard their voices, but she kept Lara away from them. Now she could leave the child with the Valeans. She could hear their voices now. It was surprising that they were still looking; it had been weeks since Lara had come to stay with her, and left by herself in the wild, Lara most assuredly would have died.

"That's Daddy's voice," Lara whispered, finally hearing the voices. She ran forward, ignoring Kagome's hissed command to stay until she knew there were no demons between them. Luckily there weren't, and Kagome saw Lara run into the arms of a man she assumed was her father.

A bad feeling hit her in the gut. _I left the fire in the stove!_ she thought, horrified. _If I don't keep an eye on it, my house might burn down!_ Sure that Lara was safe, she charged back in the direction of her house. _I'll have to meet her parents a different time._

&&

A few weeks ago, a child, Lara by name, had been lost in the woods surrounding Vale. When they'd heard, Felix and his friends joined in searching for her since they knew the area better than most. Unfortunately, she was nowhere to be found. They saw traces of her in the forest, but then it ended by some berry bushes with blood around them. Felix knew she wasn't dead because there wasn't enough blood, and there was no body. A demon could've eaten her, but there would've been bones left, and a lot more blood than there was.

There were places that looked like something had been ripped from the ground; Felix hoped that whatever did that wasn't the thing that met Lara.

Her parents didn't give up on her, either. They kept looking, along with most of the men in Vale. They were in the woods near where the trail stopped when a child's voice screamed, "Daddy!"

When Felix turned around, he saw Lara being held by her father, both of them crying. "Where have you been?" her father asked.

"I was sick, and a lady took care of me," she answered. "She lives alone in this forest, and she cured me!"

"What?" the man asked, not understanding his daughter's babbling.

"She said I had a fever, and she made me better. I didn't die," Lara said happily.

"What was this woman's name?" Felix asked, feeling like he already knew the answer.

The child looked thoughtful. "Um, I don't know," she confessed. "If you want, I can ask. Follow me." Her father set her down, and she set off in the direction she had come from. She only went a few yards before she stopped, looking confused. "Uh-oh," she said, swinging her head one way, then another before turning around. "I don't know the way." She looked confused. "I don't understand. I just knew how to get there."

"It's okay, sweetie," her father said. "Let's go home. Mommy's worried about you."

Felix watched them go, a frown on his face. _It was Kagome; I know it!_ He took off in the direction the child had started to walk. _It's been too many months since she came to Vale. She's not disappearing on me again!_ "Kagome!" he yelled as he ran. "Kagome!"

No answer. _NO!_ He fell to his knees._ I was so close._

"Felix?"

He turned his head and saw Piers behind him. "I saw you run off, so I followed. You think Kagome took her?"

He nodded, disappointment preventing him from speaking. Piers knelt by his friend. "I know how much you wanted to find her, but I have a feeling that she doesn't want to be found just yet, or else we're just approaching from the wrong angle."

He smiled sadly at his friend's attempt at humor. "It probably wasn't her," he said, not sounding convincing even to himself.

Piers put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find her," he promised. "Now we have a place to start looking, which is more than what we had before."

"Let's go back to Vale," the Venus Adept sighed. "We won't be able to find her today."

After the Lara incident, rumors started flying around about a witch that lived in the forest, and if you got lost, she would take care of you. More people had gotten lost in those woods looking for one thing or another and had either lost their way or been attacked by a demon, and the strangest-looking woman had appeared and had taken them to her home. No one knew how to get back once they left, though.

This was driving Felix to distraction. Kagome seemed to be within reach, but she never appeared to him; as he was a Venus Adept, he couldn't get lost, and he was strong, so he could defeat any demon that appeared in the forest. His friends noticed how he seemed obsessed with finding her and were worried about him, but when they asked him to stop, he brushed them aside. "I have not spent all this time looking for her just to give up now," he would reply. "You don't have to help me, but don't stop me, either." They all helped, of course, since Kagome was their friend, too. They looked and looked, but neither she nor her home was found.

&&


	18. Chapter 18

**Okay, my peoples, I finished my homework yesterday, so I should be able to update both today and tomorrow. I couldn't update yesterday because we had our first football game, which we won, and I didn't get home until about 11:30. I still had to eat and shower, and by the time those were done, I was too tired to do anything except go to bed. Oh, before I go on, I've been asked to ask you people to review "The Big Dance". It's in the Sly Cooper section, and the author is Ms. MarineManiac. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I've done my duty by passing it on.**

**Thank you everyone who reviewed. They lift me up to Cloud Nine and make me want to give you more. This'll be one of the longer chapters, so hopefully you'll enjoy.**

**Savinglifelessness: Yes, you were missed, and yes, this is a futuristic Earth. It's kind of like the Time Machine, I guess. The land changed, and the people went back to being primitive. That was a good word to describe it; that's exactly what Weyard is.**

**Musashi the Master: Thanks for reviewing. You are a constant reader. It's nice having someone to count on to read your stories, or even just this one.**

&&

It was summer again. The air was warm, the berries were ripe, and her vegetable garden was growing. The only thing missing in Kagome's life was company. No one had come to the forest for some time, and she hadn't gone to Vale in nearly a year. She was sweeping her porch to get rid of the stray leaves that had made it there and thought about how she missed the company. Looking down at her miko clothes, she frowned. _I didn't realize how frayed these were getting. I need to buy some cloth and make more clothes for myself._ She put aside her broom and went to her closet, choosing an outfit she had purchased in Lalivero and, grabbing her bow, arrows, and the long knife, headed out the door. She decided against taking Hiraikotsu because it might scare the Valeans, and she wasn't sure that she would be able to fit in any of the stores with it on her back.

Upon entering the town, she was struck by how many children were running around. _I guess with Psynergy abundant in the world again, there's no need for them to hide it._ Stepping into the item shop, she told the woman what she wanted, and it was given to her in next to no time. She thanked her, turned around, and promptly ran into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized, picking up her belongings. Then she looked at who she had run into. "Jenna!"

"Kagome!" Jenna cried, embracing her. "It's been a year since we've seen you!"

"It has been a while," Kagome agreed, standing. "I needed cloth, so I came by." She looked thoughtful. "You know, while I'm here, I should probably buy some extra food. The stuff I have right now won't last forever." She and Jenna walked back to the counter and she bought things that she couldn't grow for herself, like nuts and dried meat.

"Wait," Jenna called when she started walking away. "Why don't you stay for awhile? It has been a year, after all, and I want to know what's been happening."

Kagome agreed, and the two of them strolled down to Jenna's home. Kagome told her of how she'd been taking in lost and sick wanderers from her woods. "I'm actually surprised that I haven't come home and seen any of you waiting for me," she remarked.

"We've been looking for you ever since you helped Lara," Jenna explained. "Did she really have a fever?"

"Yeah, but it's not like it was serious," Kagome said dismissively, but Jenna looked at her with adoration in her eyes. "What?" she asked, nonplussed.

"Very few people survive fever," Jenna answered seriously. "When someone got it here a few months ago, not even Piers and Mia could save her."

Kagome looked down for a moment. "Hey, where is everyone? I would've though they'd all flock around like I was some sort of novelty," she joked, trying to make the conversation lighter.

Jenna smiled. "You have to admit, you_ are_ something of a novelty. But as for where they are, I wouldn't be surprised if they're in your forest, trying to find you."

"I didn't know they were looking," Kagome said, surprised. "It isn't all that hard to find. Just go straight back until you hit the base of the mountains. You'll eventually run into me if you keep looking long enough."

"That's the problem," the Mars Adept told her. "We can't seem to reach the base of the mountains. There's something there that's blocking us, I guess. Felix has been doing almost nothing except look for you ever since winter."

"I didn't have a problem finding it the first time," Kagome said thoughtfully. "I wonder why you're having such a hard time. Are you doing anything later today?"

"No, why?"

"How 'bout you come with me?" she suggested. "That way you'll be able to tell the others how to get there."

"Okay," Jenna readily agreed.

Kagome's face lit up. "And since I have help this time, I can get more stuff!"

Jenna groaned good-naturedly and accompanied her back to the item store, where she bought more seeds, fruit trees this time, and lots more dried meat. Then they went to the weapon shop and came out with arrows and more knives. The short ones Kagome left at home were nearly paper-thin, and almost as bendy. It was definitely time to replace them. Together they lugged her purchases through the woods, Kagome always making sure Jenna was near her.

When the house came into sight, Jenna stopped, her eyes wide at the sight. "Beautiful, ne?" Kagome asked, forgetting to speak in Valean.

Jenna didn't understand her exact words, but she could tell by Kagome's tone what she was asking, and nodded. "I've never seen anything like this," she breathed. "It's so big. And you live here by yourself?"

"Yes, until another unfortunate soul gets lost in my forest," the miko sighed. "It's not that I hate helping people, but they do tend to show up at my doorstep with less than excellent timing. Usually I'm in the middle of something and I hear shouting, so I have to put down what I'm doing, go get the person, bring them back, take care of them, then finish what I was doing in the first place."

"You poor thing," Jenna said sympathetically. "Did you want me to stay here and help for a bit?"

"Your parents would worry," Kagome reminded her. "You didn't leave them a note or anything of the sort to say where you went."

"I'm nineteen years old," she told her. "I can look after myself, and they know it. But I guess you're right. I will come back, though."

"Okay. Thank you for helping me carry my things back here," Kagome waved to her as she left her sight._ Now I'm by myself again. Oh, well, there's always someone who's bound to be in some sort of trouble soon._

&&

Jenna waited impatiently for Felix to come home. He had gone out earlier that day to go to Vault for some reason, but she wouldn't have been surprised if he'd stopped by the forest to look for Kagome one more time before coming home._ Felix, where are you?_

After what seemed like an eternity, she heard the sound of the door opening and Felix's voice calling, "I'm home."

"Felix, you'll never guess what happened," Jenna said excitedly, bouncing over to him.

He looked down at her, a tolerant smile on his face. He was such a good brother! "What happened?" he asked, knowing that was what she wanted.

"I met the witch of the forest," she announced, using the name the children had given her.

He paled. "Did she give you a name?" he asked calmly, though his eyes showed he was anything but.

"Nope, but she didn't have to. You were right, Felix, it is Kagome!"

Felix grabbed her shoulders. "Where did you see her?" he demanded, his voice barely above a whisper.

"In the item shop," she replied. "She was buying cloth to make more clothes for herself, though why she only got white and red is a bit beyond me. But that's not all. She took me to her house! I can take us back there and we can see her now."

"Show me," he commanded. She didn't need to be told twice; she was already out the door almost before he finished, him on her heels. They got to the edge of the forest when she slowed down. She walked in, heading straight back and ignoring the darkness at the edges of her vision. After a while, she stopped, frowning. "What's wrong?" Felix asked.

"This doesn't feel right," she said. "I don't know what's wrong with me." Her vision started going black, and the last thing she saw was Felix, looking at her worriedly.

&&

Felix saw Jenna fall and tried to reach her before she fell, but was too late. "Jenna? Jenna, say something!"

The color was draining from her face, and her breathing was very shallow. Afraid of what he would find, he checked her ankle; there, barely visible, were two very small punctures. The holes themselves were swelling slightly and turning a deep red. _Poison._ Slinging her over his shoulder, he was about to return to Vale when a pack of wolves appeared, blocking off his escape route. A couple he could deal with on his own, but hindered by his sister, he would have to fight one-handed and make sure none of them came near enough to hurt Jenna.

This wasn't his day for fighting. First off, he was right-handed, but Jenna was over that shoulder, so he had to use his left. Then, the wolves had him surrounded and were attacking from all sides. He had to keep spinning around to keep them from latching onto Jenna, which left him more vulnerable. He used his Psynergy to keep them away, but he could only do that for so long. The longer the fight lasted, the weaker he became. He was by no means near to giving up since that would mean both he and Jenna would die, but he could only keep this up for so long.

He was bleeding from the claw and bite marks they had managed to give him. There were so many! Every time he destroyed one, it seemed like three more would show up to take its place.

At length, one of the wolves knocked his sword out of his hand. It was killed in the process, but now he had no weapon other than his Psynergy, and that was fading too quickly. One of the demons darted in and bit his right calf, and he collapsed, unable to stand on just one leg while holding Jenna and fending off the other demons. _This is it,_ he thought dazedly, feeling the effects of too much blood loss. _I'm sorry, Jenna._ He saw the wolves fly at him, and waited for them to get it over with.

Fate had other plans for him. "Hiraikotsu!" a voice shouted from the forest, and a giant boomerang flew between him and the demons, destroying the ones it hit. It circled, then flew back to the person who threw it. His eyesight was blurry, so all he could see was a strangely dressed woman who seemed to have an ethereal, blue glow around her. Felix saw her catch it and destroy the rest of the demons like it was the easiest thing in the world. After that, his strength gave out, and he sank into unconsciousness.

&&

"Felix, Jenna, answer me!" Kagome pleaded, kneeling beside the downed siblings. "This is just great." Picking both of them up using her Psynergy, she ran back to her house, towing them behind her. A stray branch whacked them at times, but she was in a hurry and couldn't help that.

There wasn't enough room for both of them to be on the table, so she laid them out on the floor. First grabbing some towels from table, she set them over Felix's bleeding wounds, then turned to Jenna. She saw the symptoms of poisoning and ran to get some of her antidote supply and pillows. Letting the antidote drip into her mouth, she made sure none of it spilled out and put Jenna's head on the pillows, keeping her heart above her lower half, as that seemed to be where the poison was coming from.

Once she had finished with Jenna, she tended to her older brother. Felix wasn't poisoned, thank goodness, but he did lose a lot of blood and was beginning to look flushed. Checking his limbs, she saw a lot of cuts still bleeding. "Felix, you sure did make a mess of yourself," she muttered.

Going to her sink, she wet a towel and started sponging off the blood with cool water, hoping to both clean him and get his temperature down. She managed to stem the flow of blood somewhat, but in order to bandage them, his sleeves and pant legs would have to come off. "Darn you for wearing long sleeves and pants," she said more to herself than him, and she said it in Japanese, so even if he had been awake, he wouldn't have been able to understand her.

His boots were in tatters, so she removed them first. Then the gloves came off, and his overshirt. Why he was wearing a green scarf-like thing in the middle of summer she had no clue, but that was lost as well. His belt and scabbard were a bit harder, but she managed after some tricky maneuvering. That left his pants and shirt. Buying herself some time, she fetched some blankets, just in case, and pried his shirt off. She had to be careful since she didn't want even one thread caught in one of his cuts, but it did come off. That just left the pants. Being extra careful and blushing madly, she tugged them down, leaving Felix without anything on except his boxers, which she refused to take off; there were no holes made by teeth or claws, so it was safe to leave them on.

The obstacles out of the way, she bandaged his arms, legs, chest, and back, where she had found more bleeding wounds. Satisfied that Felix would be okay for now, she went back to Jenna to look for the reason she was poisoned. She scoured her legs and found what she was looking for on her right ankle. _These need to be drained._ Getting one of her bendy knives, she ran it through a candle to sterilize it, then lightly scratched the swollen points and watched as poison drained out of them.

Kagome felt that she could leave them for a few minutes and went into a different room. Opening a closet, she grabbed her two cots and set them up. Out of necessity she had made a "sickroom" for people who were ill when they came to her. Normally she only had one visitor at a time, so she only had two cots, one for the patient and one for herself. At times, the patient needed constant care, so she found it more prudent to stay in the same room. Now Jenna and Felix would take both of the cots.

Returning to her patients, she found them still in one piece, which was good, but neither of their minds had returned to the land of the living, which wasn't. She used Lift on them to take them to their respective cots and set them down. "This should be interesting," she said to herself.

She wasn't wrong. Jenna came along nicely, recovering from the poison with no permanent injuries, though she didn't wake until almost a week later. Then she had to deal with fever. Kagome just thanked God that Felix wasn't awake; he also had a fever, and it was all she could do to convince Jenna that she wasn't going to die if she listened to Kagome and did everything she said, so she couldn't imagine trying to deal with both of them.

Once Jenna's fever broke, she moved her out of that room and into Kagome's room. Felix's fever was being stubborn, and she didn't want Jenna to re-catch it.

Jenna didn't just sit around and do nothing. Kagome showed her where things were stored, and when she needed Felix bathed, she had Jenna do it since she was his sister. Kagome also walked her through the steps of how to make soup using the balls in the pantry. Jenna was amazed at the concept of a pre-made soup that only needed hot water to make it edible. She also tended the garden, as Kagome was preoccupied with caring for Felix.

One night Kagome woke up to Felix thrashing around on the cot. It wasn't a very big cot, so if he didn't stop soon, he could topple the entire thing over. Getting up, she felt his forehead and quickly snatched it back. Wanting to confirm her fears, she took out a homemade thermometer and stuck it in his mouth, holding it closed with her fingers. She broke into a cold sweat when she saw the numbers rise quickly. When the numbers finally stopped, she let out a hiss. His temperature was nearly one hundred four!

Very glad that she had moved Jenna out of this room, she brought Felix to the cooler floor as carefully as she could with him not helping in the least. _I need to install a sink in there,_ she thought ruefully as she went into the kitchen to get some cool water. She needed light to see by, so the fire had to remain lit, but she removed the blankets until he was stripped to his boxers; she didn't have any men's clothing on her, and with him sick, she couldn't go out and buy or make some.

She sponged off most of the sweat on his body with cool water, hoping to bring his temperature down somewhat. "Felix, I need you to wake up," she whispered urgently. "I need you to drink something."

To her surprise, he obeyed. His glassy eyes opened, and she was struck by how much they looked like Inuyasha's right before he died. Felix's eyes weren't golden, but their glassy appearance was almost exactly the same. "Don't die on me, Felix," she pleaded. "Don't leave me, like Inuyasha," she added so softly she was barely aware of saying it.

"Kagome?" he asked weakly.

She nodded, lifting his head to her lap and pressing a cup to his lips. "You need to drink."

He pushed it away. "Am I dead?" he asked.

"No, but if you don't drink, you'll be close to it."

He still looked confused. "I thought you died in Prox five years ago," he said, sounding uncertain. "Are you sure I'm not dead? Or if I'm not, were the past five years all a dream, and we're still here with Saturos?"

"It wasn't a dream," she assured him, bringing the cup back to his lips. "Drink."

This time he did as he was told, sipping the cool water. "Would you like something to eat?" she asked.

"Okay," he agreed, allowing her to put his head back on the ground. She went to the kitchen, made the soup as quickly as she could while grabbing a few berries along the way, and returned. He opened his eyes at her arrival. "Menardi, why are you doing this?" he asked.

_Menardi? He must be delirious._ She sat down and brought him into a sitting position. "You need to eat," she urged, bringing the food to his lips.

"Where's Sheba?" he demanded harshly. "What have you done to Sheba?"

"She's at home, I suppose," she said. "I haven't seen her in some time."

"Don't lie to me, Menardi," he said, sounding hurt. "I just saw her a few minutes ago, then you and Saturos did something to her."

"Sheba's fine," she assured him, wondering what the two Proxians had done to make Felix behave that way. "However, you aren't, now eat."

"You won't hurt her?" he asked anxiously.

"No, now stop talking and eat. You have a fever to beat."

He paled. "A fever might not mean anything to a Proxian, but it's deadly to most humans," he said. "I don't want to give it to Kraden or Jenna."

"That's why you're in here and they're out there. Eat!"

He complied. She had to feed him, but he would accept the food. He hadn't been able to eat in some time, so he was close to starving; she would give him food, but he always asked for more. _Well, they say to feed a fever._ He finished everything she had brought with her, but was too tired to keep eating. "Sleep, Felix," she said, laying him down on the floor. "I'll be here tomorrow."

He remained delirious. He kept calling her different names, but the most common one was Kagome, the one from Prox. Unfortunately, he was still bent on protecting Jenna. It got to the point where Kagome had to forbid Jenna from entering because even though he was delirious, he knew Jenna was in danger whenever she came into the room and would put up a fuss until she left. To make up for the exile, Kagome had Jenna prepare their meals and get her cool water whenever she needed it.

One morning Kagome woke to the sun on her face. _This isn't right. I just slept the entire night without Felix waking me up. Is something wrong? What if something went wrong and he couldn't wake me up?_ Panicking, she flipped over so fast she upset the cot, and they both went down with a loud crash. Getting her scattered wits back together, she looked in Felix's direction to see him blinking sleepily over at her. _The crash must have woken him up. Darn it!_ "Sorry about that," she apologized sheepishly. "How are you this morning?"

"I'm okay," he said, sounding still half-asleep. "What happened?"

"I fell," she confessed. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine," he assured her. "How long have I been here?"

Kagome checked her calendar. "It's been some weeks," she said. "You were fighting a fever and recovering from blood loss, so it's not surprising it took so long." _Not to mention you haven't had shots._

"Really? I don't remember much, just you taking care of me, and Jenna…" He trailed off. "Where's Jenna?"

Kagome frowned. "I don't know. I'll go find out if you want." She stuck her head out the door. "Jenna?"

"Yes?" her voice floated back to the miko.

"Where are you?"

"Weeding the garden. I did this yesterday, and what do you know, they're back this morning! I swear, they're out to get me."

"Just don't use fire to get them out," Kagome warned her. "I still need those vegetables." She turned back to Felix, who was looking at her from the floor. "She's weeding my garden for me," she informed him. "Since she recovered, she's been helping around the house so I could care for you. Wait there and I'll get you something to eat." She left before he could say anything and prepared the regular soup and berries. She put it in front of him and watched how he attacked it ravenously. _Poor guy. He must be starved. He probably needs something more substantial than soup and fruit. Looks like I have to go hunting again._

"Why do you stay here all by yourself?" he asked between bites.

"I have my reasons," she answered.

He frowned, putting the food aside for the moment. "I don't remember much while you took care of me," he began, "but I do remember thinking you were the person who died in Prox five years ago, and you didn't correct me. Why?"

"You also thought I was Menardi and a bunch of other people, and I didn't correct you then, either," she reminded him.

"You're hiding something from me," he accused her. "You said, 'Don't leave me, like Inuyasha.' I've only heard that name once, and that was from Kagome, the girl who died in Prox, you!"

She froze. _How could he possibly remember that? He was delirious at the time, how could he remember anything?_

He was talking again. "Why didn't you say something earlier?" he asked, looking at her with hurt eyes.

"I couldn't," she said, unable to look at him. "The Wise One needed me for something and forbade me to say anything to you, and by the time I was released from my duties, we had already met, and it was impossible for me to tell you."

"You were on business for the Wise One when we met in Contigo?"

She nodded.

"What business?"

"I'd…rather not say," she replied evasively. "Let's just say that I was needed on top of the Lighthouses at the same time you were lighting them."

"You were there for all four?" he asked incredulously.

"No," she corrected him, "just Jupiter and Mars. I saw you fight Karst and Agatio, then that three-headed dragon on Mars."

"I knew I saw movement up there," he muttered under his breath, though she heard him anyway. "I don't see how you couldn't have told us once the Wise One released you."

"You would have wanted to know why I didn't tell you earlier, and things probably would have gone downhill. Your parents would've wanted me to stay in Vale, and then I wouldn't have been able to live here."

"What's wrong with living in Vale?" he asked defensively.

"Nothing," she assured him, "but if I'd stayed there, I wouldn't have found something important. Besides, I like living here. It's calm, quiet most of the time, and very rarely do people bother me."

"What was so important?"

She smiled sadly. "It has something to do with my past, and it binds me here." She noticed that he wasn't eating. "What are you thinking? Eat, eat!"

Felix still had a sour look on his face, but complied. She rose to her feet. "Jenna's been almost out of her mind with worry for you, so I'll let you two be with each other for awhile, okay?"

He nodded, so she went out the door and into the garden. "Jenna, Felix is awake and wants to see you."

Jenna jumped out of the carrots and rushed inside. Kagome smiled and took over the weeding. _It feels nice to be outside again,_ she thought, letting the breeze blow on her, making her hair fly behind her. She threw herself into her work and got lost in it. She was surprised when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Jenna standing there, leaning over her. "It's time for dinner," she said.

"What?" Looking up, she saw the sun setting. "I've been working all day?" she asked incredulously.

"Yup. You looked content to stay out here and work, so we didn't bother you. You could have told us that you hadn't died in Prox," she said reproachfully. "I know the Wise One said not to, but you could've afterward."

"I'm sorry," Kagome said contritely. "Next time it happens, the second I'm allowed to tell you, I will."

"I can accept that," Jenna said, forgiving her. "I don't know if Felix will, but he'll come to terms with it eventually." The two girls walked inside.

Kagome was almost surprised to see that everything was set on the table; she was used to eating on the floor with one eye on Felix. "Looks like I get to eat like a regular person again," she said lightly.

They sat down together, all three of them, though Felix had a blanket around his waist. Jenna had told her he was very surprised to discover that he was only in boxers, and had quickly wrapped up in the blanket. Over dinner Kagome and Jenna chatted while Felix listened, catching up on what had happened here while he was sick. When they were done, Kagome took their dishes and put them in the sink, resolving to wash them after she had figured out what she was going to do with her guests. "Now that you guys are better, care to tell me why you guys were in my forest?"

"We were looking for you," Jenna explained. "I had just been there, so I thought I'd show Felix, but when I came to the forest, I couldn't remember the way. Somehow I got poisoned, and I guess Felix was defending me against demons and got hurt."

"So what are you going to do now?" Kagome asked. "You two have been here for some time. I'm sure your parents and friends are worried about you."

"They probably think we're fine," Jenna said dismissively. "We defeated the three-headed dragon, after all, as well as Karst and Agatio."

"I need clothes," Felix stated. "I can't go back in just a blanket."

"I'm sure the girls wouldn't mind," Jenna teased him. At Kagome's inquiring glance, she went into more detail. "Felix is old enough to be married, and almost all the girls have their eyes on him. He's a powerful Adept, and a celebrity to boot."

Felix shook his head. "The only reason they'd go for me is because Isaac already has Mia and Garet has you."

"What about Ivan?" Kagome asked.

"He's only seventeen," Jenna explained, "but he's off-limits; Sheba's claimed him, so that leaves Piers and Felix. Piers is a Lemurian, so he's already lived for centuries, and that scared most of the girls away from him. So that leaves Felix, and isn't it lucky for them that he isn't half-bad-looking?"

"Wait, you're finally going out with Garet?" Kagome addressed Jenna, who blushed and nodded. Kagome had noticed that she had taken a shine to the other Fire Adept years ago, but they hadn't gone anywhere with it, to her knowledge. "Well, good for you. You'll be good for each other." Then she turned to Felix. "So, have any of these fine young Valean ladies taken your fancy?"

He stared at the table, not answering. "Touchy subject?" she whispered to Jenna.

"A little. I'll tell you later," Jenna whispered back.

Kagome rose and winced as her sore back made itself known. "I need a bath," she muttered to herself. "You guys can do whatever, I guess. I'll wash the dishes and then clean up a bit." She went to the sink and Jenna joined her while Felix went back into the sickroom, pleading weariness. "So, what's going on with him?" she asked, up to her elbows in soapy water.

"He's been in this forest a lot, looking for you," Jenna explained. "I don't know about now, but he's been obsessed with finding you. I think he's in love with you. That hasn't stopped the girls back home from putting the moves on him, but he basically ignores them."

"I was afraid of that," she sighed.

"What's wrong?" Jenna asked, concerned. "Do you not love him?"

"I do love him; he was my best friend while I was here, but I don't know if I love him like he wants me to. I had already given my heart to someone else before I met any of you, and even though he's been dead for two years now, I can't forget him. Felix needs someone who will make him happy and isn't permanently stuck in the past."

Jenna put a hand on her shoulder. "I think there's only one person who can give him the happiness he deserves," she said softly. "Think about it."

Kagome didn't know what to say. Sure, Felix was good-looking, but she could never forget Inuyasha, her first love. Besides, Felix would probably want to stay in Vale, whereas she couldn't even think about leaving her friends' graves behind.

"Oh, by the way, I think I can give you your room back," Jenna said after awhile. "Now that Felix isn't sick anymore, I can just stay with him."

"Okay," Kagome agreed.

"Do you mind if I bathe real quick?" the Fire Adept asked. "I think I might need it."

"Go ahead. You know where it is." Jenna left. Kagome finished scrubbing and drying the dishes and put them back in their respective places.

The next morning Jenna came up with a solution to Felix's more immediate problem. "I'll just go back to Vale and get some more clothes for him," she announced as the three of them ate breakfast.

"I don't know if you should go alone," Kagome spoke up. "It seems like every time you leave, you forget how to return. I'd go with you, but who would stay with Felix?"

"I'll be fine," he stated. "However, I won't be fine returning to Vale with just a blanket."

"Okay, it's settled, then," Jenna said decisively. "Kagome and I will go get some of your clothes and bring them back. Don't get into any trouble while we're gone," she warned Felix. "And, Kagome? You might want to change before we leave. You're a little conspicuous right now." She could see her point, as she was wearing her usual priestess outfit. As soon as she put on her Laliveran clothing, they set off for Vale.

&&

Felix watched as the two of them left. Not knowing what to do with himself, he wandered around the house. So far he'd only been in the kitchen and the sickroom, so the entire house was new to him. The walls of the main room had pictures on them, and he meandered over to see what was in them. They weren't like anything he had seen before, except in Kagome's book that she had showed him. In one picture it looked like a two-tailed cat was playing with what looked like a child, but had pointed ears and a tail.

He moved on to the next picture. A man and a woman were sitting next to each other, laughing. The woman had black hair and a pink stripe over her eyes and was wearing strange clothing, not like Kagome's, but similar. The man wore purple robes of some sort, and his right hand wore a glove and strange beads. On the woman's shoulder was the cat from the picture before.

Intrigued, he looked at the one hanging next to that one. This one looked human enough, but his hair was almost as long as Menardi's, and it was silver. He didn't have human ears; instead, two triangular ones rested atop his head. His clothes were very similar to Kagome's, except his shirt was red, whereas hers was white. Next to him stood Kagome, wearing those indecent clothes that she wore the first day she arrived in Vale. The two were talking and smiling at each other. _This must be Inuyasha,_ he said to himself.

The more pictures he saw, the more he was convinced of that. There were group pictures and ones where there were only one or two people in them. In one of them Kagome and the man dressed in purple robes were looking at each other. The man had a serious expression on his face, but Kagome looked nonplussed. In the picture right next to it, Inuyasha and the other woman looked like they were yelling angrily at the man while he looked sheepish, and Kagome still looked nonplussed.

The one that held his attention the most was one of her and Inuyasha by a fire. Kagome was asleep on the man's shoulder, and he was looking at her, a tender expression on his face. If he wasn't completely sure that that person was Inuyasha, then this picture proved it.

The sound of the door opening startled him; he hadn't been aware that he'd spent the entire time looking at pictures. "Having fun?" Jenna asked from the kitchen.

"Tons," he responded, strolling over to them. Glancing down, he saw that they had more clothes than he needed. "What's this?" he asked.

"Oh, well, Kagome didn't think it best for you to try walking out of here so soon after recovering, so we brought some extra clothes."

"Some extra clothes?" he asked skeptically. They had brought enough for a whole week at least!

"And some extra company," Kagome added, moving aside to show the grinning faces of Isaac, Garet, Ivan, Mia, Sheba, and Piers. "We ran into them, and they wanted to come along. I didn't mind, so they're here on an extended visit, too."

He hadn't been expecting that. "Well, I guess we're staying for awhile," he stated. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get dressed." He grabbed his garments from Jenna and walked out, ignoring the appreciative glances from Mia and Sheba.

Changing quickly, he rejoined them in the main room, where all the pictures were. They were studying the pictures and asked Kagome all sorts of questions, but all she said was that they were her old friends and family. She had a sad expression on, so Felix assumed she missed them terribly._ Why doesn't she go back? Surely she would want to see Inuyasha at least. Did something happen to them?_

&&


	19. Chapter 19

**Okay, it's the next chapter. There's Inuyasha in this one! Yay!**

&&

"Felix sure looked surprised when he found out we brought you guys with us," Kagome giggled. She and Piers were the only ones still awake. They were just sitting by the fire, taking in its warmth and light.

Piers smiled. "Yes, I can imagine that he wouldn't have thought that you would bring company with you." He looked down sadly.

Kagome noticed his change in expression. "What's wrong, Piers?" she asked in concern.

"This will all end soon," he murmured. "In too short a time, you will all be gone, and I will be the only one left."

"What do you mean?" She had no idea what he was talking about.

"Do you know what a Lemurian is?" he asked her. She shook her head. "Lemurians, like myself, live for far longer than normal humans do. We do die eventually, but it's very rare and only after our bodies have failed after centuries of use. I still have a long life ahead of me, but you only have a few years left. Once you are gone, I will still look like this for a long time after. It hurts to think about it."

"Piers…" Kagome said comfortingly, putting an arm around his shoulders.

"The curse of longevity," he sighed. "I've tried not to think about it, but Felix is twenty now, and he only has a few more decades left to live. He, along with the others, is the closest friend I've ever had, and I will be devastated when he leaves."

_Poor Piers. I wish there was something I could do for him. The Shikon no Tama! It went into my body, but maybe it will still grant my wish. I want Piers to not be alone his entire life. He needs to find someone who won't die before him and will always be there for him. I don't know if I'll live to see that day, but I can always hope it comes true._

Over the next few weeks, they all grew closer. Kagome was still tight-lipped about her past, but they could tell it was painful for her to think about, so they didn't ask after the first time. They were fascinated with her Hiraikotsu and shakujo, and would watch her practice with them. She had already gotten to the point where she could throw Hiraikotsu and have it return; now she just needed to work on getting her arms strong enough to send it through trees. The shakujo helped her to focus her priestess powers. She was now stronger in that as well as her body. That wasn't something she showed them, but she did demonstrate how she could defeat a demon by just using the shakujo and not anything else.

Piers and Mia were interested in her healing techniques. They had been unable to cure the fevers that cropped up in Vale and wanted to know how to make it better. Both were amazed at how simple it was. They knew that they had to get the body temperature down, but they didn't know that if the patient got the shakes, their temperature would rise. They also didn't know about the "feed a fever" saying.

"Yup," Kagome said, "you starve a cold and feed a fever."

All too soon, it seemed, they had to return. The night before they had to leave for Vale, Kagome sat up with Felix, both of them looking at the stars and enjoying each other's company. They had already tried to convince her to come back with them, but she still adamantly refused. They had to accept it, as she wasn't going to give in, and they left for their "beds", leaving only her and Felix awake.

"Kagome, what is it that binds you here?" the Venus Adept asked. "You never said."

She sighed and stood up. "Come with me," she commanded, walking out with him following. They stopped in front of the Goshinboku, and she pointed at the six gravestones by its roots. "That's why," she stated.

"What is it?" he asked, kneeling down to examine the foreign letters on them. "Is it some sort of decoration you used in your town?"

"Iie," she said, shaking her head and not realizing that she was speaking in Japanese. Felix looked back at her, and she realized her mistake. "No," she corrected herself. "Those are gravestones."

"Who's buried here?" he queried.

"My friends. Miroku, Sango, Inuyasha, Shippo, Kirara, Koga," she named them and pointed to the corresponding gravestone, her throat becoming closed with grief. "I don't have graves for my family, but these serve to remind me of them also."

"So they're all dead?" he asked softly.

She nodded, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "That's why I can't leave," she choked out. "I don't know how this came to be here, but I won't leave it or them."

Seeing her distress, Felix stood and embraced her, letting her cry onto his shoulder. "Shhh, I'm here for you," he soothed her, holding her close.

Once her tears ran out, she stepped away from him. "Sorry about the waterworks," she sniffed. "I didn't know that was going to happen."

"How long ago did this happen?" he asked.

Just like five years ago, she found herself opening up to him like she didn't with anyone else. "Two years ago, right before I returned here," she replied. "My friends all died, and when I got home, I found out that my house had burned down, killing my entire family. That's when the Wise One appeared to me, and I came here."

"You shouldn't be alone out here, you know," he said softly.

"I won't leave them!" she stated firmly.

"I'm not asking you to," he gently rebuked her. "What I'm saying is you should come see us in Vale every once in a while, and I don't mean once a year. Or, if you don't feel like making the trip, allow us to come see you."

"I've already said you could," she started, but stopped. "No one can remember how to get here once they leave," she said, more to herself than Felix. "I wonder if I can fix that."

"Did you want help?" he asked.

"I don't know what you could do," she said into his shirt.

"We could find out," he stated.

She looked up and saw him smiling down at her. "You're leaving tomorrow, though," she said. "We can't find a solution in one night."

"I'll stay as long as it takes," he promised. "If that's all right with you, of course."

She smiled back at him. "What will Jenna tell your parents? Wouldn't they want you to come home?"

"You do realize that I'm twenty, right? It's time I moved out of the house, anyway."

"Then we'll let Jenna know tomorrow."

Jenna wasn't too happy about having to return without Felix, but agreed to tell their parents where he was. The rest of them were as happy about that as Jenna, but accepted it after Kagome promised that they would visit every week until they fixed the problem; then they could return the favor. Once they left, Kagome turned to Felix. "Okay, let's get started."

Luck wasn't on their side. First, they had to locate the boundaries of where people lost their memory of how to return to Kagome's home. Kagome couldn't do this, so it fell to Felix. It was very time-consuming, and after days of doing just that, they discovered that it had about a two-mile radius.

Then they had to find out why people kept losing their memory. That's what stumped them. They had no idea of where to begin searching. And they also had to visit Vale, just like they promised. It annoyed Kagome to no end when she was ready to leave and Felix made her wait just a little longer. Usually he was in one shop or another, so she would tap her foot and wait impatiently for him to get done. When he was ready, he would apologize for making her wait, and basically soften her up, and she would forgive him.

In addition, Kagome had to find time to make a bed for Felix. Since it seemed like he would be staying for some time, she refused to let him sleep on the floor or one of the cots. That took some time, too, but it was finished long before they had established the boundaries.

"You know, maybe we should just make a path," Kagome suggested after they wracked their brains once again for a solution. "We'll make it to the boundary, and if you just remember to follow it, you'll eventually reach me."

"It's the best thing we've come up with so far," Felix agreed. "How do you suggest we go about it, though?"

"Just get rid of the trees in the way, and there's where the path will be."

Kagome had to do most of the work herself. She had discovered earlier that Felix felt the pain of the trees if she cut living ones down. She had been practicing throwing Hiraikotsu, and it split a tree. Felix, who had been watching, had doubled over. When she rushed over, he'd said, "That tree was still alive." That was why he would leave the area when she cleared the area for the path. He removed the trunks when she was done, but he still looked like he was in pain whenever he did this. Kagome felt bad, but there wasn't anything she could do about it.

At length, meaning almost six months later, they were done; they had one path that went to the two-mile limit. It wasn't straight by any means; some trees were too stubborn for Kagome to pull out of the ground without making Felix pass out from pain, and he had been standing a good distance away. "So, do you think it'll work?" she asked, looking at the Venus Adept beside her.

He looked back at her and smiled. "Yeah, I think it will," he said, sounding sure of himself. "But we can test it tomorrow. Right now, I need a bath, some food, and then rest." Arms over each other's shoulders, they walked along their new path to Kagome's home.

Right before Kagome went to sleep, her thought caught up with her. _Now that the path is done, he'll leave. I've grown used to him being here with me, but I can't ask him to stay. He needs to find himself a wife, someone he can raise a family with. I could be that person…Wait, what am I thinking? I can't! Inuyasha…I won't betray his memory. I'll just have to get over Felix leaving._

She fell asleep and dreamed she was back in the Feudal Era. Looking up, she saw the branches of the giant Goshinboku towering over her. "What am I doing here?" she asked aloud. She felt a presence behind her, a familiar one. "Inuyasha…"

The hanyou stepped in front of her, an angry look on his face. "What do you think you're doing?" he demanded, glaring down at her.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused. _What is he talking about?_

"You know what I mean. Felix!"

"What about him?"

"You're not even going to ask him to stay? What's the matter with you, Kagome?"

Her eyes filled with tears as she stood up. "Inuyasha, I won't betray you! I still love you."

His eyes softened, and he held her. "I know," he murmured, "but I'm dead. You're still alive. Before I died, I asked you to find someone who could return you love. This guy is the person you've been waiting for; don't let him slip from your fingers."

"Please, Inuyasha, don't make me forget you," she pleaded.

"I'm not asking you to; all I want is for you to be with someone who will make you happy, and I have a feeling this guy is it. Don't be so locked in the past that you forget to live. Remember, but don't let it consume you. Everyone agrees with me."

"They do?"

"Yup, even Koga. We all want you to be happy." He started to fade.

"No, Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, trying to keep him here.

He smiled sadly. "That's all the time I have. Please think about what I said, and stop being sad all the time." He disappeared completely.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome's legs collapsed, making her fall to the ground. _He wants me to be with Felix. But what if he wants to live in Vale? I won't leave their graves! I refuse to do that! Well, if Inuyasha wants me to be happy with Felix, I guess I don't have a choice except to do as he says. I promise, Inuyasha, I won't forget, and I'll try to find happiness._

The next morning she got up earlier than normal and put on her priestess clothes like she always did except when visiting Vale. _How to go about this?_ she wondered as she prepared fruit for breakfast.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see Felix come in. "Good morning," he said, yawning and stretching as he came into the kitchen. "Oh, sorry," he apologized when she jumped.

"That's okay, I wasn't paying attention, that's all," she said, giving him the fruit. "So, since we finished the path, what will you do now?"

He frowned. "I don't know. I'll go back to Vale, I suppose. Why?"

_This is it. Inuyasha, I hope you're right._ "Do you have to?" she asked softly, looking more like she was talking to her plate than him.

"What?" He sounded startled.

"Must you go back to Vale?" Now she was regretting opening her mouth.

"Do you want me to stay?" he asked seriously. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him looking at her.

"I wouldn't want you to stay here if you wanted to go home to Vale," she stated quickly, but stopped when his hand moved her head so she had to look at him.

"Do you want me to stay?" he repeated. "If you want me to, I will."

"But you have family in Vale." She looked down. "It was wrong of me to ask that of you. I'm sorry." She tried to stand up, but Felix pushed her back down.

He knelt until they were at eye-level. "If you would have me here, then I would like to stay. Yes, I have family in Vale, but you need me more than they do. We've already established that we can live together for over six months without killing each other; the rest of our lives shouldn't be a problem, either." He stopped.

"You would be willing to spend the rest of your life with me?" Kagome asked, not sure if she'd heard him correctly.

He nodded, then sighed. "I suppose I have to do this formally." He got down on one knee in front of her. "Kagome, will you marry me?" Reaching into one of his pockets, he produced a small box. He opened it and revealed a golden ring with a crimson ruby surrounded by a circle of tiny diamonds.

Kagome was speechless, so she nodded, a grin spreading over her face. A similar grin was on Felix's, and he embraced her. "Where did you get this?" she asked when she got her voice back.

"In Vale the last time we went," he answered. "I was going to ask you earlier, but I couldn't get up the nerve."

"Don't you think we're a little young to get married, though?" she asked, remembering how things were done in her time.

He laughed. "Is that how things are done in your village? Here, people get married younger than Sheba, and she's sixteen."

"Oh. How many people knew you were going to ask me to marry you?"

"My parents and maybe Jenna. They're the only ones."

"When did you plan on telling them?"

"If you said no, then never. Since you didn't, then they'll find out today."

"I see. Are you going to move your stuff here, or just buy new things?"

"I'll see if anything's worth bringing over here. We can probably sell the bed since I have one here already, unless you want to put it in a spare bedroom."

They were still talking as they traveled to Vale. Since they still weren't sure what to do about Felix's old things, they stopped by Piers' home, where all their friends happened to be. Needless to say, they all congratulated their friends and were more than willing to help move whatever they needed to, like Felix's old furniture. They all went to Jenna's home, and Eric and Arianna were thrilled to hear the news. They wanted the wedding to be as soon as possible since Felix and Kagome were already living together. Neither parent wanted unpleasant rumors going around.

In the end, they decided to just take all of Felix's old things and drag it with them. One of the Valeans lent them his wagon, and they piled it high with his belongings. Driving it to the edge of the forest, they then unpacked what they could carry and started transferring it to Kagome's home, one of them always staying with the wagon. By the end of the day, they got all the stuff in the sickroom; Kagome and Felix said they'd fix it later.

"Why don't you guys come back to Vale with us. Just until the wedding is over," Piers said, adding the last bit at Kagome's glare. "Arianna said it would be soon, so you might as well stay."

With Felix promising that they'd return after the wedding, Kagome reluctantly agreed. Kagome stayed with Mia, Piers, Ivan, and Sheba again while Felix stayed at his parents' home.

The next day, Kagome, Mia, Sheba, and Arianna talked over how the wedding should be. By Kagome's standards, the wedding would be simple, not like anything at home, but she was okay with that. The one thing she did insist on was the white dress and veil. Everything else could be their way, but she had to have a white dress and veil. The others gave in to her request, as this was her wedding.

It took some time to make the dress and veil, but not as long as making the path through her forest. With her friends helping her, Kagome finished the dress and veil in less than two weeks. Mia, the most artistic one with a needle, added in the extra flair that it needed. During this time, she rarely saw Felix, as he was busy with their male friends and his father, doing whatever guys did to get ready.


	20. Chapter 20

**Surprise, surprise, I have free time, and it's a school day! Wow! Thank you to all you peoples who reviewed. You're the people that give me the incentive to update as quickly as possible.**

**Savinglifelessness: Yeah, they haven't kissed yet, but that's okay. Maybe they did, but I chose not to write about it. Who knows?**

**Sir Moron: Your question is very easily answered. Yes, there's going to be more chapters. I love easy questions like that; they're so easy to answer. No, this isn't the last one, but we're sort of wrapping it up now.**

**Carriles: I'm a-goin', I'm a-goin'. Glad you like it.**

&&

The wedding was very simple, as she'd suspected. It was just outside in the sunset with the Valeans sitting on chairs that they'd brought. Since she didn't have a father, Eric took her down the "aisle" and handed her to his son. The main Healer conducted the ceremony, they said their "I do's", exchanged rings, kissed, and that was it. There was the whole eat, drink, and be merry at the end, as there was at all weddings, and they ate, but Kagome didn't touch the alcohol; she was brought up to not drink, and Felix stayed away from it also.

When Kagome started getting antsy, Felix announced that they would be leaving for home. They got a few whistles and some drunken good-byes, then they were on their way. First they stopped by Piers' home to get Kagome's things. When she came back down, she was changed back into her Laliveran clothing. "I can't very well walk home in that dress," she informed him when he looked at her questioningly.

Their friends met them at the edge of the town and said good-bye; they were all too young to drink with the exception of Piers, but he chose to remain sober. They wished the newlyweds good-luck, then went back to the party, which seemed to be doing quite well without them.

When they arrived home without mishap, Kagome stopped at the foot of the stairs. "I guess you can't stay in your room tonight," she stated. They'd moved all his stuff into the sickroom, which was where he'd been staying since he came here.

"I'm sure we could make it work if that's where you wanted me," he said cheerfully, "though I don't think that's what you want."

"No, I definitely don't think that room suits you anymore," she decided. "Come on, I need to wash the dust of the road off me. Do you think you could help me?"

"I'll do whatever you need me to," he answered, following her up the stairs.

Not much changed in their lives. Sure, they now shared a room, but otherwise, things remained the same. The major changes were when Jenna and Garet got married, then Isaac and Mia, and finally Ivan and Sheba. What surprised Kagome was that they all waited until they were twenty to get married, except Sheba; she was nineteen. Felix had said that people were getting married when they were younger sixteen, so why did they wait? Still, it didn't matter much. They were happy, and that was all that mattered.

When they did get married, to Kagome's shock, they didn't want to stay in Vale; instead, they all asked if there was room in her forest for them as well. Naturally, she said yes, and they started clearing space for them to build their homes; Felix and Isaac had to leave for that part, as well as the splitting of wood to build the frame of the houses. Piers, feeling a little left out, also joined them out in the forest, selling his former home to a young man in Vale. They wanted their homes like Kagome's but weren't sure how she had built it in the first place. She wanted them to be happy, so she did her best to remember how she had done it, but with the modifications each one wanted. Once that was out of the way, they were able to do the rest of the work.

The buildings completed, the seven Adepts moved into their new homes. They all lived relatively close to each other, though none of them had built on the area Kagome had already "claimed". To make visiting easier, they had built paths to the main one she and Felix had made when they tried to solve the forgetting-barrier problem.

Kagome was sweeping her porch, thinking about how much her life had changed in the four years since she'd married Felix. Before, she had been alone, taking care of her home and her friends' graves. Now, she not only had a husband who adored her, she had neighbors, and was close friends with all of them. She hadn't realized how lonely she had really been until they all moved out here to be with her.

"Kagome!" Garet's panicked voice cut through her ponderings.

She looked up to see Garet running up the path to her home, red in the face and out of breath. "What's wrong?" she asked, resting her broom against a wall.

"It's Jenna," he gasped. "There's something wrong with her. Will you come look and see if it's something's serious?"

She immediately followed him, her hair and miko clothing billowing behind her. When she arrived, she washed her hands and sent Garet to find Felix and tell him where she was. Felix didn't really need to know, but she wanted him away since he would only distract her and not help in the least. As he left, she shook her head. _Now that he's out of our hair, let's see what's wrong with his wife._ "Jenna?" she called, entering the bedroom.

"I'm in here," she said from the bed.

"Garet seemed to be a bit worried about you," Kagome said lightly. "Is something wrong?"

The Mars Adept groaned. "I felt sick to my stomach all day yesterday," she told her. "I haven't been able to eat anything. Is something wrong with me?"

Thinking she already knew the problem, she used her miko powers to probe her friend's lower abdomen. When she was done, she looked at Jenna and smiled. "Congratulations, you're going to be a mother," Kagome informed her friend.

"What?" Jenna shouted, looking astounded.

"Yes, you definitely have a child growing in you," the miko said. "You'll have to be very careful about what you eat so the child will be okay."

Jenna looked at Kagome in wonder. "How can you tell?" she queried.

"Maybe I'll tell you later," she said, winking conspiratorially. "Now, I have to go make sure Garet doesn't do anything stupid in his worry for you. Did you want to tell him?"

"Sure."

Kagome left the much happier Fire-user and had put one foot on her front step when Ivan came blowing in, much like Garet. Sighing, she followed him and sent him on a fool's errand, just like she had done with the other distraught man. Entering, she found Sheba in much the same state as Jenna, and with the same diagnosis. When she found out, Sheba was thrilled, and Kagome left, praying that Isaac wouldn't be the next one to show up on her doorstep. Still, she didn't want to have to wait for him and went straight from Ivan's home to his to check and see if Mia was in the same condition as the other two.

Lucky for her, Mia answered the door. "Kagome, I wasn't expecting you," the Water Adept said.

"Sorry to bother you, but I just paid two house calls to Jenna and Sheba, so I thought I might as well check on you as well."

Mia moved back so Kagome could enter. "Isaac's not here right now," she said as they moved into the main room.

"I know," Kagome said cheerfully. "Felix said earlier that he, Isaac, and Piers were going to Vale to get some more sharpening stones. Now, if you'll just sit down." Mia obeyed, and Kagome sat down across from her. "You haven't been getting morning sickness, have you?" she asked.

Mia shook her head. "No, why?"

"Hm. Let me just check something." She put a hand on her lower stomach focusing her miko power in that one spot. "Well, this is interesting," she murmured.

"What?" Mia asked curiously.

"It seems like all three of you are pregnant."

"Really?" the other girl squealed. "I have a child?"

"Yup," Kagome confirmed.

"Now the only one who needs a child is you," Mia teased her.

Kagome only smiled. "Anyway, you seem to be more lucky than either Jenna or Sheba, so be glad while it lasts. You may get morning sickness later."

"Okay. Thanks for coming by," Mia thanked her cheerfully as she walked her to the door.

"Not a problem. I'm just glad you're okay and didn't send Isaac running off for me. Not that they did, either, but still, I'm glad he wasn't waiting for me when I got done with Sheba."

Mia looked down at her still-flat stomach. "I have a while to wait, but that's okay." She waved good-bye and closed the door.

_They're all expecting! I'm so happy for them. Now I just have to pray that everything goes well and there aren't any unexpected troubles with the child._ Walking up the steps of her home, she entered and was startled to see Felix already home.

He stood when she entered. "Where have you been?" he asked.

"Garet and Ivan came running to get me and check on their wives, and after that I decided to check on Mia to see if she had the same malady as the other two."

"Is something wrong?" he asked, concern on his features.

She shook her head. "On the contrary. They will all be mothers in about nine months."

He looked shocked, then a grin made its way across his face. "That's great news," he said, picking her up and spinning her. "Why would Garet and Ivan want you to check them, though?"

"Well, Jenna and Sheba both have morning sickness. None of them knew what that meant, so I was called. Mia is fine, so that's probably why Isaac didn't come for me also."

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Felix, but I'm not expecting," she said sadly.

"It's okay," he reassured her, taking her in his arms. "We've been busy, and I have a feeling that we'll be looking at even more work in the future."

"Still, a family," Kagome started. "I've lost my other family. I would like one of my own someday. It's great, just the two of us, but don't you want children?"

He smiled at her. "Of course I do. I'm ready whenever you are."

"Do you have anything pressing to do today?" she asked innocently.

"No, why?"

"Then come with me."

-Nine months later-

"Push!"

"I can't push anymore. Please, just let me die."

"You're almost done, sweetie, just one more."

Screaming, then it was out. Hands wiped the baby dry. Kagome held the infant, smiling at the red, squalling thing. "Congratulations, you have a healthy son," she informed Sheba, who was lying down on the cot, panting and drenched in sweat. The small blonde held out her arms for her child, and Kagome relinquished her hold on him.

"He's beautiful," she murmured.

Kagome giggled at the mother's obvious infatuation with her firstborn. It looked as ugly as every newborn, but in a mother's eyes, her child is always beautiful. The same thing had happened to first Jenna, then Mia a few days later. The fathers were just as taken, but nothing could match the love of a mother. Sadly, she didn't know that feeling. No matter what, she just couldn't seem to get pregnant, and it wasn't for lack of trying. That didn't stop her from being happy for her friends, though.

"I'll call Ivan in," she told Sheba once the blood was cleaned up.

The new mother just nodded, not paying attention to what Kagome was saying. "Ivan, you have a son," she said to the anxious man waiting in her house with Felix.

He was up and gone like he'd been shot out of a cannon. "Well, that was quick," Felix stated, looking at the spot where Ivan had been standing a few seconds before.

"He's just worried about Sheba," Kagome told him. "He seemed to take it pretty well, actually. He left when I told him to, unlike Garet. You know, Garet actually tried to stay in the room while the baby was being born."

Felix laughed at the picture. "I bet Jenna wasn't happy about that."

"Nope. He left real quick once she started going into labor." She yawned. "Well, three babies born in one week wasn't something I expected. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to encourage the mother to not give up. Would you mind terribly if I went to bed early? I don't know how much longer I can stay awake."

"Go ahead," he said gently. "I'm going to see Piers for awhile, but I think I might be joining you once I get back."

&&


	21. Chapter 21

**Thank you for reviewing, everyone. My sister's calling me, so I can't give any messages, though the ones you sent were very much appreciated.**

&&

The children grew rapidly. It seemed like in just the blink of an eye, they went from infants crawling around their playpens to young seven-year-olds running around the forest. Almost every week their parents would take them to Vale to be with other children their age and to see their grandparents, and the children loved it there, but they always seemed to be glad to be back in the forest.

The children considered the adults that weren't their parents their aunts and uncles. It didn't bother them in the least, and they all looked out for the younglings. It troubled Kagome that she still didn't have any children to show for ten years of marriage, but she considered her friends' children like her own, so she was able to push it aside for the most part.

"Aunt Kagome," she heard herself called from the path.

She didn't turn around, just remained kneeling in front of her friends' graves. "Yes, what can I do for you, Jasmine?" she asked.

The bouncy redhead knelt next to her. "Why are these here? Are they holy stones?" she asked innocently.

"No, sweetie," Kagome said. "This is just where some of my friends are buried. I like to be here because I feel closer to them."

"Oh." Jasmine was silent for a moment, then started chattering again. "Mommy said to ask you if you and Uncle Felix wanted to eat dinner with us."

"Let's go inside and ask, shall we?" Kagome rose, the little Jasmine mimicking her. "Felix, Jasmine's here," she called.

He entered the room. "What can I do for you?" he asked the much smaller girl.

"Mommy wanted me to ask you and Aunt Kagome if you wanted to eat dinner with us," Jasmine told him.

He looked at his wife. "What do you think? Should we join them?"

"I think we should," she answered, a twinkle in her eyes. "Come on, let's go. Maybe there's still time for me to help Mommy make the food." They walked out the door, Jasmine between them, using their hands to swing herself forward and backward.

Garet was waiting by the door when they came into view. "So, you decided to join us," he said, smiling at them and his daughter.

"I didn't feel like eating Kagome's food again," Felix said, earning himself a glare from his wife. "Just kidding," he said, smiling cheerfully.

"Jenna's setting the table right now. I'll go tell her you're here." Jasmine bounced after her father, and the other two followed. "Jenna, they're joining us," Kagome heard Garet call.

"I know," Jenna called back. "I figured they would. Just sit down and we'll eat."

Kagome and Felix sat beside the other two adults while Jasmine and her siblings came in. There were four children to show for their seven years of marriage, and Jenna was expecting another one very soon. They chatted about how things were going, and Felix told them about Vale and how it was progressing. Jasmine told them how she and Robin, Isaac's son, had found some more of Aunt Kagome's berry bushes somewhere out in the forest.

When they finished eating, the adults sat around and spoke about the past, how they'd made friends and wished they could see them again. Kagome mostly listened during this since she hadn't been with them for that part of their journey. Once they finished that topic, it was late, and Kagome and Felix had to walk back. They said good-bye to their friends and headed home. "Felix," Kagome said as a thought struck her. "How old am I?"

He glanced at her. "Is this a trick question?" he asked warily.

She shook her head. "Just answer."

"You're about thirty now. Why?"

Stopping in the middle of the path, she waited for Felix to face her. "Look at me. Really look at me. How old do I look?"

"You look the same as ever," he answered, sounding and looking confused and more than a little concerned.

"Exactly. I haven't aged at all for twelve years. I still look like I'm eighteen, and so do you. So does everyone, for that matter. None of us have aged since we turned eighteen."

"Kagome, I think you're just a little tired," Felix stated. "Yes, you look young, but that's not a bad thing."

"I should have wrinkles or something by now," she said, frustrated that he wasn't taking her seriously. "This isn't right!"

"It's fine, love," he said, pulling her close to him. "Do you want to be old?"

"Well, no," she admitted, "but something isn't right here."

"Kagome, there isn't anything wrong with you, me, or the rest of us," Felix said firmly. "Just let it go."

Kagome fell silent, but didn't forget. After that day, she looked in the mirror almost every day to see if she was aging. She never did.

Sheba seemed to be preoccupied with something. One day while she was visiting, Kagome took her outside into the garden and asked her what was wrong.

"I just feel like I need to see Faran again," she replied despondently.

"You miss you family in Lalivero?" Kagome guessed.

The blonde nodded. "Faran cared for me for fourteen years, so I feel like I need to at least see him."

"Well, why don't you? I mean, you haven't seen him since he went to Vale last year and you showed him your children."

"I don't know what I'll do with Tristan, Jeremy, and Fiona, though," Sheba said slowly.

"Ivan can take care of them," Kagome assured her. "Besides, if he needs help, there are three other females in the area that can take over."

"Thanks," Sheba said gratefully. "I'll pack tonight, and probably leave tomorrow."

_She looks like she's eighteen, too,_ Kagome thought as she waved good-bye. _I'm not losing my mind._

"I heard that Sheba's going to go back to Lalivero for awhile," Felix commented as he and Kagome prepared to go to bed.

"Yeah. She misses Faran and her family there, so she's going to leave the kids with Ivan."

"She's going alone?" Felix asked skeptically. "She knows better than that."

"I'm sure Sheba can take care of herself."

Sure enough, Sheba left before the sun had reached them from over the mountains, alone. Ivan did the best he could with his three children, but like Kagome had thought, needed help after Jeremy got sick. He moved in with Kagome and Felix since they had plenty of extra room and no children of their own. Kagome didn't mind, and Felix never complained, so she assumed it was fine with him as well.

Things went well until Sheba didn't return after a couple weeks. Ivan started getting restless, pacing at night and watching the path for his wife's return.

"I had a premonition that something happened to her," he told them after the third week she was gone. "I'm going after her."

"Not alone, you aren't," Felix stated, rising from his chair. "I know you're strong, but I'm not going to let you go off by yourself."

"I'm leaving tomorrow. You stay here with Kagome; I'll see if I can get Isaac to go with me. Will you take care of the kids for me?"

"Of course," Kagome cut in. "You find Sheba and make sure she's okay."

Ivan left, presumably for Isaac's home. "I don't like this," Felix muttered.

"Felix, I know you're close to Sheba, but Ivan's closer to Isaac. I mean, he originally met up with Isaac to stop you, so it's understandable that he'd go to him," Kagome soothed her husband's ruffled feathers. "I'm sure they'd let you go, too, if you asked."

He shook his head. "No, he's right; I need to stay here with you."

Isaac and Ivan left the next morning. Mia seemed sorry to see them leave; not surprising, since her husband was leaving her with two young children. Life still went on as usual. Tristan, Jeremy, and Fiona were glad to stay with their Uncle Felix and Aunt Kagome and helped whenever one of them asked something of them. No one worried about the travelers; they were seasoned fighter, all three of them, and even if something had happened to Sheba, they were confident that Isaac and Ivan would be able to rescue her. That confidence waned the longer they were gone.

After nearly four weeks passed since they started worrying about Sheba, and Mia was almost out of her mind with worry and was all set to go after them, and would have, except for her children. It got to the point where the adults sent their kids out in the back to play and watched Mia storm around the main room of her home. "I have to go after them," she raged. "Something happened to Isaac, I just know it."

"What would your kids do?" Garet asked reasonably. "If you're that upset about it, I'll go find them. Isaac's my buddy; I'm sure we'll eventually run into each other. Felix'll go with me, won't you?"

He nodded. "Yes. This way, you can stay with your children, and Piers can help look after them."

"I don't see why I should remain and Garet leave," Piers stated. "It would be more prudent for me to go, as I have no wife or children."

"If any more people wander in here needing treatment, then we'll need you," Jenna piped up, holding her five-month-old on her lap. "You have to stay here."

He sighed. "I will go with you on this, though I believe you are mistaken, and they need me more."

"All right. Felix, we'll leave in a few days," Garet addressed the Venus Adept.

"A few days?" Mia repeated heatedly. "Why aren't you leaving tomorrow, at least?"

"We need to pack and get rested," the Mars Adept informed her. "They left without much time to get ready, and look at what happened. I'd rather not get caught by whatever has Isaac, Ivan, and Sheba."

True to his word, Garet wouldn't leave for four more days, packing bandages and medicines, just in case they needed them. When it seemed like Mia would set off by herself and leave her children to someone else, he and Felix left. Kagome missed her husband terribly, but the children kept her pretty busy, so she didn't think about it much except at night.

Now she had a bad feeling in her gut. She wasn't a true Jupiter Adept, so she didn't have premonitions like Ivan or Sheba, but she could get bad feelings, and this was a major one. It almost felt like there was a permanent miasma around her, making her edgy. The three kids living with her picked up on it and tried their best to make things better, though they didn't know what was wrong.

"Aunt Kagome?" Tristan asked her one day while she was sitting under the Goshinboku. "Where are Mommy and Daddy?"

"They went to Lalivero," she replied.

"But why didn't they take us?" he asked, his childish voice full of hurt.

"They weren't going to stay too long. I'm sure they didn't know they'd be gone this long, or else they'd have taken you with them."

"When will they be back?" he wanted to know.

"I don't know," she answered honestly.

"Aunt Mia and Aunt Jenna are worried," he said. "Jasmine and Robin overheard them talking about leaving to go look for Uncle Isaac, Uncle Garet, Uncle Felix, Uncle Ivan, and Aunt Sheba."

"I see." _Looks like I need to talk to them._ "Let's go over to Aunt Jenna's. Go get your brother and sister."

He ran to obey, and as soon as they showed up, all four of them set off to Jenna's home. Her three immediately ran to Jenna's four, and Kagome went to Jenna, who was holding her youngest daughter. "Tristan told me some interesting news," she said, getting straight to the point. "He said you were going after the others yourself."

"I have to," Jenna responded, looking desperate. "Ivan was right; something must have happened. There's no other explanation. I have to find out. Mia and I will leave our kids with Jenna's parents in Vale and go after them."

"I don't think so," Kagome said hotly. "Do you have any idea how long you'll be gone? You two aren't going by yourselves. This time Piers will go with you. If someone else wanders in, then I'll take care of him or her, but three of you WILL go. And I can take care of your children. They love the forest more than Vale; this is where they grew up."

"Kagome, you already are caring for Ivan and Sheba's children. We couldn't ask you to take ours, too."

"Yes, you can, and I'd accept. I'll just run over to Piers' and Mia's to tell them what's up. When will you leave?"

"Now that I know where my children will stay, I'm going tomorrow."

"I'll call them over. Be back in a few."

The others came when she called, and they all reassembled at Jenna's home. "So we're leaving tomorrow?" Piers asked.

Mia nodded. "I don't like leaving Kagome alone like this, but she already volunteered to watch our kids. We'll try not to be gone too long," she said.

"Just be careful," Kagome warned them. "Find them as quickly as possible. We'll be waiting."

The next morning Jenna and Mia brought over their children. Kagome sent them into her home and hugged them good-bye. Walking them to the path, she also hugged Piers, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. _Come back soon with everyone._

"Aunt Kagome?" Robin asked. "Why's Mommy leaving?"

"She's going to look for your father, Aunt Sheba, and your other uncles," she said, managing to keep her voice from shaking.

That didn't stop the children, though. Apparently they associated their parents' disappearance with not coming back, and they started crying. "Mommy's not coming back," Gaven, Jenna's second-born, sobbed.

"No, sweetie," Kagome said, kneeling by the distraught children. "They'll come back. They all will."

The children crowded around her, taking comfort in her presence. The infant started squalling, and she had to feed it, but returned to the kids after the bottle was prepared. That night they all slept together in the main room, even Kagome.

Time passed. People still wandered into Inuyasha's Forest, as Kagome had named it, and she took care of them and the children. Every day she looked down the path, waiting to see her friends' familiar forms, but never did. She still took the children to Vale every week, but after a while, she started taking them every month, then randomly.

After a few years, men began looking at her in ways she didn't appreciate; she was married, after all. Still, the men seemed to think that Felix wouldn't come back, and began making advances on her. That helped her to make the decision to remain in Inuyasha's Forest and leave only when necessary.

She still looked the same as ever, an eternal eighteen-year-old. She was now thirty-five, but didn't look it at all. She didn't know why she didn't age; it couldn't be the forest since the children were growing rapidly. It didn't seem to be hurting her, though, so she didn't pay much attention to it.

The children had all but forgotten their parents. The eldest ones still remembered, but Kimi, Jenna's infant, didn't know any parent but Kagome. They had long given up on them returning and had accepted Kagome as their mother, though they still called her "Aunt Kagome". They loved her like she was their mother, and didn't question her when she said that they wouldn't be returning to Vale for some time.

&&


	22. Chapter 22

**The computer was taken on Sunday, so I couldn't update then. Sorry about that.**

**Epobbp: You'll find out what happens, don't worry.**

**Carriles: Sorry about the weirdness. Glad you like it, though.**

**SphereShadow: Welcome back! I'm happy that you like it.**

**Savinglifelessness: Yes, I'm twisting it. It may not be cool, but I'm doing it anyway. (insert evil laughter) So, you finally saw an Inuyasha movie. Good for you.**

&&

"Do you think she'll go with this one?" Jasmine asked Robin and Tristan, watching Aunt Kagome tend to the newest patient.

"Not likely," Tristan replied. "She's never taken up anyone who's put the moves on her."

"Maybe it's time she did, though," Jasmine said. "It's been ten years since our parents, Uncle Piers, and Uncle Felix disappeared. If they haven't come back by now, then it's very unlikely that they'll ever come back."

"Well, Aunt Kagome seems to think they will," Robin said. "You do have a point, though. She keeps saying how strong our parents are, but if they haven't come back yet, then I guess they won't."

"Are you saying we should try to make her remarry?" Tristan asked skeptically. He was younger than his companions by only a few days, but at times he seemed to have more wisdom than both Jasmine and Robin combined. "She seems perfectly happy to wait for Uncle Felix and the others to come back."

"But wouldn't she be happier being with someone now?" Jasmine countered. "She could have someone real who would love her, not the phantom of a memory, an insubstantial thing. I think we should try to find someone for her."

"Tristan! Jasmine! Robin!" Fiona's voice called to them.

Robin watched Tristan turn and shout back to his twelve-year-old sister. "What do you want?"

"Gaven and Sana are stuck," she explained, running up to them. "We can't get them out."

"What's wrong?" Jasmine asked, already moving in the direction Fiona came from.

"Sana was looking for her necklace, and Gaven was helping. Sana found it, but the ground collapsed under her. Gaven tried to get her out, but he got caught, too. No one knows how to get them out."

"What does it look like?" Jasmine asked. "The hole, I mean."

"It's big and round. Pretty deep, too. It looks like a poacher made it."

The three eldest exchanged glances. Poachers weren't allowed in the forest; Kagome had made that quite clear not long after they were born. It was too easy for a hunter to mistake a child for an animal, so she put that rule into effect. It didn't stop her, but she knew the difference between an animal and one of her children. For their own protection she also taught them how to hunt using a bow and arrows; they weren't allowed to touch Hiraikotsu or her shakujo.

"There it is," Fiona announced, pointing to the gaping pit in the center of a clearing.

"Fiona, did you get someone?" Gaven's voice floated up to them.

"We're here, Gaven," Jasmine yelled.

Robin could tell she was worried about her younger brother and sister. "We'll get you two out," he shouted down to them. "Just hang on." Glancing around the area, he saw some long branches on the ground. "Let's lower these and see if they can grab 'em," he said to his companions.

They nodded and dropped one into the pit while holding onto the other end. "Okay, pull," Gaven called up to them.

They pulled it back up, and found that they'd hooked a Sana. "Okay, let's get Gaven out," Robin commanded, and they put the branch back down into the pit. Once Gaven gave the okay, they heaved the fifteen-year-old out of his prison.

"Now we have to tell Aunt Kagome about this," Tristan panted, lying flat on the ground; lifting up people bigger than you was hard work!

"Right," Jasmine affirmed, hauling herself to her feet. "Let's go!"

"Are you serious?" Tristan asked, looking at her disbelievingly.

"Come on, Tristan, it won't kill you," Robin said, helping his friend to his feet. Tristan was more slight than his friends; both his parents were skinny and on the small side, so it wasn't a surprise that he and his siblings were built the way they were.

They walked back to their home, not hurrying. When they came up, they saw their aunt kneeling in front of the gravestones again. "I don't understand why she keeps doing that," Fiona said.

"It doesn't matter, Fiona," Tristan shushed her.

"Aunt Kagome," Robin called out.

She looked up at them and smiled. "What can I do for you?" she asked, rising.

_She's still beautiful,_ Robin thought silently. _I can see why so many people want to marry her. I wonder how she did it? Isn't she forty now?_ "We found a poacher trap in the forest," he informed her.

Her pleasant demeanor vanished. "Where?" she asked, her expression very serious.

They led her to the spot where Gaven and Sana had been trapped. She looked down into it. "It was meant to catch a herd of something," she observed. "Step back, children."

They obeyed immediately, and Aunt Kagome was left standing by the pit by herself. She backed up a few paces, then looked at it again, moving her right hand slightly forward. The earth trembled, and the hole began to disappear. The tremors grew worse, and the children had to hold onto something or have their feet knocked out from under them. It only lasted a few seconds, but when they were able to stand on their own again, the hole was filled, and Aunt Kagome was leaving. "Thank you for telling me about this," she said, moving gracefully away. "I will look for the hunter and tell him not to do it again."

"It's a guy?" Jasmine asked rhetorically. "Who here votes that he'll do whatever she says?" They raised their hands unanimously. "By the way, where's everyone else?"

"Jeremy took Kimi to Vale," Fiona answered. Before she could continue, Tristan cut her off.

"He did WHAT?" he shouted. "He knows that we aren't supposed to go to Vale without Aunt Kagome."

"Kimi needed something," Fiona explained to her enraged brother. "And he did ask Aunt Kagome first. She was distracted, so she said yes without realizing what she was saying yes to. Anyway, Kari's out by the hot spring we found a few days ago with Brett. I think they're checking to see if the water's safe to swim in."

"Thanks, Fiona," Robin thanked her.

"Not a problem," she chirped, skipping away, probably to find Kari and Brett.

"Well, now what do we do?" Tristan asked.

"Let's go talk to that patient," Jasmine suggested. "Unless there's something else you guys would like to do?"

They didn't, so they went inside and found the patient sitting on the sickroom bed, which they were told used to be Uncle Felix's until he married Aunt Kagome. "How are you feeling?" she asked the young man politely.

He looked up, startled. "Oh, hello, who are you?" he asked, a little sharply. This wasn't surprising; the children didn't normally interact with Aunt Kagome's patients.

"We live here," she answered cheerfully. "Aunt Kagome had to leave for something, and wanted us to see if you were okay."

"Aunt Kagome?" he repeated. "She's your where are your parents?"

"They're gone. Aunt Kagome's taken care of us for the past ten years," Tristan told him.

"Ten years? She doesn't look any older than you!" The man looked very shocked.

"Well, she is now…forty, I believe."

"So the rumors were true," he murmured. "She is a witch."

All three of them burst out laughing. "No, she's no witch," Tristan chuckled. "She's just our aunt. A bit more well-preserved than most, but still much older than we are."

The man leaned in closer to them. "You kids know her better than anyone else, then?"

"Why?" Robin asked somewhat warily, stung by being called a "kid" by someone who looked to be no more than a few years older than them.

"Why does a beautiful woman like her stay in a forest by herself. Except for you kids," he added.

"That's for her to tell you," Tristan said smoothly before either of his companions could retaliate. "This has been her home since before we were born, even you. A word of advice, though. Don't ask her. It's still a very touchy subject, and it wouldn't do to raise the wrath of your healer."

He frowned. "I suppose you're right," he sighed, slumping back. "Still, do you think it's possible to convince her to leave?"

"No," the three of them chorused.

"Jasmine, Aunt Kagome needs you," Kimi's voice rang through the house.

The man jumped. "Who was that?" he asked.

"That was my younger sister, Kimi," Jasmine answered, running out the door.

Kimi's smiling face appeared in the door Jasmine just blew through. "I'm back," she said unnecessarily. "I got things for you guys, too."

"Can you give them to us later?" Robin asked.

"Okay," she nodded energetically and hopped away.

"How many of you are there?" the man asked weakly.

"Ten," Tristan replied before Robin could even start counting. "Plus Aunt Kagome."

"And she's taken care of you this entire time?"

"Ever since we were born, then we came to live with her once our parents disappeared."

"Wow." He was silent, then doubled over in a fit of coughing.

"I'll get him some water," Robin said over his shoulder, already on his way out the door. When he returned, he gave it to the man, who looked at him gratefully before sipping the liquid. Gradually his coughing stopped. "Are you okay?" Robin asked.

"Yeah," the man responded, still a little flushed.

"Is everything okay in here?" Aunt Kagome's voice rang out.

They two boys whirled around and saw their aunt in the doorway, hands on hips. "Yes, ma'am," they replied. "The man just had a coughing fit, that's all," Tristan told her. "We fixed it."

"Are you alright, Justin?" she addressed the man, gliding over.

"Yes," he assured her. "These boys helped me."

She smiled. "Okay, boys, I need you to leave us for now."

"Yes, Aunt Kagome," they said simultaneously.

As they were leaving, they heard her ask, "Does your leg still feel sore?"

Jasmine was waiting for them outside. "Well, how did things go while I was gone?" she inquired when they appeared in the doorway.

"Not bad," Robin answered. "He had a coughing fit, but we took care of it."

"He seems nice enough," Tristan commented idly. "Do you think she'll go with him?"

"You mean take her for his wife?" Jasmine asked. "Not likely, but you never know. We'll just have to wait and see."

&&

"You may now kiss the bride."

A kiss. Applause from the congregation, then they were married. Kagome smiled along with the rest of the onlookers as the youngest of this generation married his wife. He was from Kimi's line, bless her poor soul. The original children of her friends have long been dead, but she didn't expect them to have as long a life as she did. She didn't know why her life had been prolonged and the children's hadn't, but there wasn't anything she could do about it.

"Aunt Kagome! You came!" Gary's joyful voice brought her out of her thoughts.

She smiled, not surprised. She rarely left Inuyasha's Forest, not since her children died, almost one thousand years ago. "And miss you wedding? Perish the thought. Congratulation, sweetheart," she said, hugging and kissing him. "I haven't missed any of your family's weddings; why would I miss yours?"

He smiled ruefully. "I suppose you're right," he agreed. "Enjoy yourself."

Kagome watched him run back to his wife, remembering her own wedding, all those years ago. Not much had changed since then; there were no technological advances. Except for the people, this could have been the same Vale she came upon over a thousand years ago. She smiled and turned herself to the food; she was tired of doing her own cooking and wanted to see how these Valean women made their food.

As she approached the food table, one of the older ladies walked up to her and said, "I don't recall seeing you around these parts before. Are you new?"

"I'm just here to see my relative get married," she replied.

"I didn't know Gary had any relatives outside of Vale," the woman said, sounding puzzled.

"I'm from Lalivero," Kagome offered. "I'm related to his mother's side of the family."

"Oh, you're one of Shana's cousins," the woman stated, referring to Gary's mother, a descendent of Ivan and Sheba.

"Yes." The woman left to chat with some of the other ladies, and Kagome focused on her food. _This is good stuff. I'll have to find out how to make this. It tastes somewhat familiar, but I can't quite place it._

"Aunt Kagome!" young voices squealed.

Before she knew it, she was attacked by a horde of small children ranging from two to twelve. "Hi," she greeted them, carefully holding her plate above them. "How've you all been?"

They all started talking at the same time, creating a jumble of sounds that made no sense to her. Thankfully, she was rescued by their parents. "Kids, let Aunt Kagome go," a deep voice said.

The children obeyed, and the owner of the voice and his wife joined her. "You're looking well, Aunt Kagome," the man, Jeff, said.

_He looks so much like Isaac,_ she thought internally. Out loud, she said, "It's good to see you. I couldn't believe that Gary fell for your daughter. I mean, what were the odds of him even meeting her? You live in Imil, and his family chose to stay here in Vale."

Jeff and his wife laughed. "Yes, that was coincidence," he agreed. "I didn't know you'd have company, or we'd have visited at a different time."

"It's not like we had a choice," his wife, Marley, argued. "I was going to have a baby, and Aunt Kagome has delivered all the babies in this family for who knows how long."

_Since the time the eight Adepts who unleashed Psynergy into Weyard had their children._ "Your wife has a point. All the women in this family have come to me to have their babies brought into Weyard, and babies don't wait for convenient times; they have timetables of their own, and we have to follow them."

"That's not something I would know about," Jeff confessed, putting a hand behind his head and grinning. "I'll just leave that to you ladies."

"Thank you oh so kindly," Marley said sarcastically. "Anyway, we're going to stay here for awhile, so we were wondering if you could take us in again."

"Of course," Kagome assured her. "You don't even need to ask. We're family."

"So, now we're all related?" Jeff asked his aunt.

"Yes. Now the families of Ivan and Sheba, Isaac and Mia, and Garet and Jenna are all connected. Their blood will run through Gary and Mina's children."

"Mommy, can we stay with Aunt Kagome?" Jeff's eight-year-old asked, pulling on Marley's dress.

"Yes, dear," she answered. "We'll stay here for a little while, then we'll go to Inuyasha's Forest." She had a little trouble saying "Inuyasha's Forest" since it was in Japanese, and these people didn't speak that language.

Kagome looked around. Everyone was talking and having a good time. Gary and Mina were mingling, though never far from the other's side. "I think it's time I took a hike," she told her nephew. "I will take some of this food with me, though." Deftly she swiped bits of this and pieces of that off the table, Jeff and Marley not far behind, doing the exact same thing. "Okay, I think we can sneak off now."

She meandered over to the edge of the crowd, her family following behind. Once the family was outside the boundaries of Vale, she picked up the pace, her followers mimicking her every move. Before they were on the path marking the edge of the forgetfulness border she was carrying the two-year-old while Jeff had the six-year-old, and Marley the four-year-old.

"Here we are," she announced cheerfully ten minutes later. Her arms weren't sore from the baby, but she could put that down to the muscles she gained from dragging Hiraikotsu around for over a thousand years.

Judging from the groans behind her, the adults were tired of dragging their children through the forest, and the children still walking were glad to finally arrive at their destination. "Are we staying in the same place?" Hannah asked her father.

He looked to Kagome, who nodded. "Yes, sweetie," he answered. The twelve-year-old squealed and ran into the house. "I can't believe that Isaac and Mia used to live in this very house," he murmured in awe. "It looks like it's new."

"I can guarantee that it's the same house," Kagome assured him. "After all, I am one of the ones who built it."

"If I didn't know you, I'd say that was impossible."

"But I was still here when you were young, just like your mother, and her mother, and so on. They've all told you that I was still there when they were young, and I delivered them, though they don't remember that part."

"Would you mind if I look at the pictures again?"

"You've looked at them ever time you've come here." It was true; he couldn't get enough of her scrapbooks of her friends, both the ones in Japan and here in Weyard. Even when he was a child, whenever he came here he would ask to look at the books.

"I know, but it's amazing how similar things looked back then, and how different things were where you were from. Besides, the newer kids haven't seen it yet."

"I'll get them for you."

"Wait, I'll help. I want to see all of them this time, not just yours and Isaac's."

"Very well. I'll just tell Marley what we're doing."

Arriving at Kagome's home, she went straight to her living room and took out the large books. "Here, you take these," she said, handing him Ivan and Isaac's books. "I'll get the rest of them."

When his back was turned, she slipped in pictures of Gary's wedding in one of her blank books. When the bloodlines of her friends started crossing with one another's, she made a new book and labeled it as such. She had Garet-Jenna and Ivan-Sheba already made, and it was quite full, but now she could start on a new one. Now the six friends would be made into one family. Only Piers had no legacy left behind; Felix had his sister's children.

They staggered back to Mia's old home and dropped the books onto the table. "Ooooh, what is that?" Marty asked, his eyes wide.

"These are pictures from Aunt Kagome's past, as well as ours," Jeff explained to his eight-year-old son. "Be careful with them; they're very old, and will break very easily."

"How did you make these?" Hannah asked. "They don't look painted."

"They're not," her aunt explained. "A long time ago, a scholar named Kraden helped me to make these special boxes, and when they flashed or clicked, a picture would come out." _Basically, he helped me recreate a camera._

"Do you have any of us?" she asked, her cerulean eyes shining.

"Yes, I do. They're in this book." She opened the Isaac-Mia book and flipped towards the back. "There you are."

The child leaned forward to get a closer look. There she was, laughing and eating a bunch of Kagome's berries with her brother Marty. Both had blue stains on their clothes, teeth, and around their mouths.

"I didn't know you had a picture of them," Jeff said, his tone accusatory.

"I put them in just after you left. If you want to look through them, I think I added a picture to every book. Just please be careful with them."

She left the entire family looking through the books. Outside she could see the stars through the trees, shining a light on the path to her home. Before entering her home, she turned to look down the path, just as she did at least once every day. "I hope trusting you was a good idea, Inuyasha," she said to the open air. "Don't let my heart get broken because of it." She went inside.

&&


	23. Chapter 23

**I don't have much to say, so I'll just skip to the answering of questions.**

**Epobbp: Maybe, maybe not. It has been a long time. We'll see…(I love doing this to people)**

**Link/Sesshoumaru/Felix fan: It makes me happy to know that you like it. The original cast…disappeared. We might see them again, we might not. I'll just have to keep posting, won't I? Kagome doesn't age because of the Shikon no Tama. In one of the earlier chapters, I forget which one, she and Piers were talking, and he was sad that he would still be alive long after they were all dead. She wished that he wouldn't be alone, but wasn't sure if it would come true. Looks like it did, for her, at any rate. If it didn't work on the others, then it looks like only she and Piers would be left alive.**

**SphereShadow: She's still married, so she's still with Felix. However, if he doesn't come back before she gives up hope, she might just marry someone else.**

&&

In the blink of an eye, another thousand years passed. The children of her friends continued to prosper and grow in number. They still came to Kagome whenever a child needed to be delivered, and she always welcomed them. Still, there was neither hide nor hair found of the original eight Adepts that disappeared. That never brought Kagome down, though. She kept on believing they were alive, even though common sense and her friends' children told her over and over that her hope was folly.

When her children got married, she would try to go to the wedding, but couldn't make the ones that weren't in Vale. Still, they came to her to have their children brought into the world, but that was the only company she got. Well, except for the lost, sick, and Gary and Mina's brood. Their firstborn, and the firstborns after that, seemed to be drawn to her forest, and when they turned eighteen, she took them in. Of course, she wasn't about to let them hermit themselves forever, and would send them every so often into Vale, where they found their spouses. It grew to be routine since it kept happening. For over a thousand years, she took in the firstborns, got them married, then repeated the process when their firstborns came into the world.

The newest one, Ivan, and his wife, Karen, were expecting their first child any day now, so they were staying in Kagome's home. Kagome kept Karen in the coolest part of the house, but it was still sweltering in the summer heat. Ivan constantly worried about his wife, so Kagome had to keep sending him on fool's errands, just as she did for all the expectant fathers that came to her. Ivan was one of the worse ones, though. He'd get it done in record time, which meant Kagome had to keep coming up with things for him to do. He even cleaned the house to her satisfaction. That one took him a long time, but once he was done, he was underfoot again.

Kagome was outside, weeding the area around the graves of her friends, when Ivan came running out the door. "Is it time?" she calmly asked the distraught man.

He could only nod, his voice box refusing to work. "Then I'll go in," she informed him. "I'll need some wood for the fire, so that'll be your job. Now listen," she cautioned when he almost ran off to cut some defenseless trees down. "The trees I need are about five miles that way." She pointed north. "The logs all have to be a foot long. Remember that. They can't be a foot-and-a-half, just a foot."

"Yes, Aunt Kagome." He was practically hopping from one foot to the other, anxious to get her what he needed.

"Here, take this axe." She reached in the door for the axe she conveniently planted there the day they came to stay with her. The minute the axe was in his hands, he was off like the Roadrunner. She shook her head and went in to tend to Karen.

The mother-to-be was practically writhing on the bed, moaning. "You're not dying," Kagome said from the doorway. "You need to stop moving so much; you're confusing the baby."

Karen obediently stopped moving, though her face showed how much pain she was in. "You'll be fine, sweetie," Kagome crooned to her. "Here, squeeze this. It helps." She gave her a small ball filled almost to bursting with sand. Karen took it and immediately clenched her fist. The ball resisted changing its shape quite well, so it took Karen's mind somewhat off the pain in her lower abdomen. Somewhat. A particularly painful contraction caused the girl to scream.

"I just want to die," she sobbed.

"You're doing fine," Kagome soothed her. She could see the head of the child coming out. _Wow, that was quick. She just went into labor fifteen minutes ago, and it's already almost there._ "I can see the baby. Don't give up. Just keep pushing, just keep pushing, just keep pushing, pushing, pushing." She frowned. "Now where did that come from? Oh, yeah, that cute kid movie. I can't believe I remember that. What was it called? _Little Nemo_? No, it was _Finding Nemo._ Yeah, that's right, _Finding Nemo_. That blue fish, Dory, was singing about swimming."

She looked down to see Karen staring at her like she had grown an extra head. "What?" she asked, a little nervous.

"What were you saying?"

"Huh?" _I guess I was speaking Japanese. I can't believe I still know it, except I talk to myself in Japanese._ "Sorry, just reminiscing."

Another contraction, and once again the ball was squeezed and a scream ripped through the otherwise tranquil air of the forest. This time another scream joined Karen's, an infant's scream. Kagome, moving quickly, picked up the baby and began to clean it. "Congratulations, Karen," she said to the exhausted mother. "You're the proud mother of a new daughter."

Karen held out her arms for her, and Kagome relinquished her hold on the squalling child. "She's beautiful," the infatuated mother breathed.

_That's exactly what every other mother has said,_ Kagome said to herself, remembering those words. She was actually recalling Sheba, though she had a boy, Tristan. "Yes, now do you want to rest, or would you like me to inform Ivan that he is now a father?"

"I'm sure Ivan would like to know," Karen answered, her mind still completely focused on her baby.

Kagome exited the house to find Ivan. _Those poor trees. Ivan must have hacked most of them into firewood by this time. Did I tell him to bring it back to the house? No, I didn't. Oops. I guess I'll just have to get him._ Now regretting sending him five miles away, she took off at a run, her miko clothes seeming to catch on every branch. "Ivan!" she yelled. "Ivan! I need you!"

Almost as if summoned, he appeared before her. "Is everything okay?" he asked, still swinging the axe at the defenseless trees.

"Yes," she reassured him, watching the axe and ducking when it came too close. "Your wife delivered a baby girl. They're both waiting for you at my home."

He dropped the axe and flew past her. "So rash," she muttered to herself, bending down and picking up the axe he'd almost dropped on his own foot. "But who am I to talk?"

She lugged the axe back with her to her home and put it in the room she had dedicated to keeping weapons. Quietly approaching the door where Karen, Ivan, and their daughter were, she peeked in and saw the three of them just looking at their neighbors, Karen and Ivan with love, the baby with curiosity. Kagome left them to get to know each other and went back outside on the porch. A cool breeze flowed through the trees. It felt good on her hot, sweaty face. Out of habit she looked down the path, but it was as empty as it always was.

"Maybe they're right," she murmured to the breeze. "Maybe I am crazy to believe they'll ever come back. It's been two thousand years, and there's been no sign of them. Did they abandon me? No, they wouldn't leave their children. Why couldn't I have died with them?"

"Aunt Kagome?"

She spun around, wiping the telltale tears from her eyes. "Yes, dear?"

"Is everything okay?" Ivan walked out onto the porch.

"Yes, everything's fine. How's your wife and daughter?"

He went off into a tirade about them, just as she'd hoped. "Do you have a name for her yet?" she asked when he was finished.

"Not yet," he admitted, looking down at his shuffling feet. "Actually, we were sort of hoping you'd do the honor of naming her." He looked up at her hopefully.

"I…see," she stuttered. No one had asked her to name their baby before.

"We wanted to have a name from your hometown, but we don't know where you're from."

"Well, let's go to Karen and the baby, and we'll see what they think."

Karen affirmed her husband's request. "Yes, we feel that it's only right. You delivered her into this world, so you should name her."

Kagome looked down at the infant. "I don't know," she said. "There's so many names that would suit this beauty."

The baby chose that moment to open her eyes. They weren't blue like most babies' eyes, but a chocolate brown. The beginnings of her hair were a deep blue-black, just like Kagome's, and a name stuck out in her mind. She spoke it without thinking. "Kikyo."

"Kikyo?" Ivan and Karen asked simultaneously.

_It has a bad connotation for me, but yes, this girl looks like Kikyo and me. I think Kikyo would be a good choice; Inuyasha and Kaede were always saying how she was a good person before she died._ "Yes, Kikyo."

"Then you are Kikyo," Ivan stated mock-formally to his daughter. She only gurgled and closed her eyes again.

Kikyo was as smart baby. A few days after she was born, when Kagome said it was okay for them to make the trek back to Vale, she somehow ended up on top of Inuyasha's grave. Her mother declared that she hadn't put her there, and the other two adamantly said the same thing. In the end, they just put it down to someone being absent-minded, but Kagome saw the sly look in Kikyo's eyes. Most babies were basically comatose the first few months of their life, so this was very strange behavior, but she didn't say anything.

Unlike the others, Ivan and Karen came to see her almost every week, so she got to see Kikyo progress. Once she learned to crawl, Kagome had to re-baby proof the house or there would've been an accident, a painful one.

Then disaster struck.

Kagome heard from Ivan that there was a plague in Contigo. They talked about how tragic it was, but it didn't really affect them. When he came again, the news was that it spread to Madra. Again, it was terrible, but it was on another continent, so it wasn't a big deal. Then it was discovered in Alhafra. Now they were getting worried.

"Do you know the symptoms?" Kagome asked.

He shook his head. "It could be anything. I think the Healers know, but they haven't told us yet. They just said if you think you're sick, then go see them."

"They probably don't know." She sighed. "Just be careful. Do you know if they've confined it yet?"

"It's spread to Kalay."

She had heard from Ivan, the original Ivan, that Kalay was a trading town, and its merchants traveled everywhere. Now the disease could be anywhere.

"Have there been any merchants from Kalay recently?"

"Yes, but that was a few weeks ago."

"I don't want you to stay there."

"Aunt Kagome, it's been three weeks since he was there."

"Ivan, I really don't think you should stay in Vale."

"We'll be fine." He coughed, causing her to run to the sink and make him hot tea. "It's just a cough," he assured her. "I'll be fine. We all will."

He couldn't have been more wrong. A few days after he visited, Karen came running up the path, screaming Kagome's name. "What's wrong?" she asked the hysterical woman.

"It's Ivan," she panted. "The sickness is in Vale, and he's got it. Please help him."

Kagome rushed inside, grabbed one of her emergency bags, and made tracks to Vale, Karen hot on her heels. They arrived in Vale in record time, and Karen all but smashed her door to pieces in her hurry to get Kagome to her husband. Ivan's wife led her to the room where Ivan lay, coughing. Kagome crossed the room and put her hand on his forehead. He didn't have a fever, yet he was sweating like crazy.

"This doesn't make sense," she muttered to herself. "He shouldn't be sweating this much; it's the middle of winter."

"Can you help him?" Karen asked from the doorway.

"I don't know," Kagome answered honestly. "I've not seen this before, but I'll do my best to save him."

Karen's look of gratitude showed how much she needed Kagome to succeed. The woman turned away, probably to get Kikyo from wherever she was, when she fell down in a fit of coughing. "You get in bed," Kagome ordered. "You're not allowed out of this house. Where's Kikyo?"

"I left her with Ivan's parents," she whispered between bouts of coughing.

Kagome hustled Karen into a bed and put a mug of hot tea by her bed. "Drink when you can," she ordered. "I'll inform Gavin and Deborah that they'll take care of Kikyo until you get better. Do you want her to catch this?" she demanded when it looked like Karen would protest. That toppled the woman's arguments.

Kagome did her best, like she said, but her best wasn't enough. Other caught sick, and she tried to help them as well, but one by one, they started dropping like flies. As the number of dead rose, the spirits of the living dragged down. It hit Kagome hard. People might suppose she would be used to death since she'd lived for over two thousand years and had seen plagues in her time, but this one was taking its toll on her.

By the time the plague had run its course, the population in Vale had been decimated. Maybe one out of every twenty people survived. Numbered among the dead were Gavin, Deborah, all of Ivan's siblings, Karen, and Ivan himself. It broke Kagome's heart to have her entire family wiped out in just one plague, except for Kikyo. Once it was certain that the plague was gone from Vale, Kagome took Kikyo and returned to her forest.

From there, she raised Kikyo, just like she did to her friends' children. As the young girl grew, she looked exactly like the Kikyo Kagome knew, just as she had predicted. At eighteen, strangers that wandered in on them couldn't tell them apart; Kikyo chose to wear the miko garb and hairstyle just like Kagome, so they looked like clones of each other, though there was a two thousand year difference in their ages. When the time came for Kagome to send her back to Vale, she refused to go. "I won't leave you alone," Kikyo declared. "Without me, who would stay with you?" Kagome relented, but didn't give up. Eventually, she would do as she was told; they always did.

&&


	24. Chapter 24

**Thank you everyone for reviewing, even the flamers. I know I can't please everyone, so I'm just glad I've made as many people happy as I have.**

**YamiEmmy: I love the originals, too. We'll see them again sometime, I promise.**

**Epobbp: Yes, I do like torturing you. Not you in particular, just you in general. More like y'all. Y'all just make it so easy.**

**Link/Sesshoumar/Felix fan: I'm glad you look forward to these chapters. It's nice knowing people actually like your writing.**

&&

Kikyo looked up in surprise as Aunt Kagome slammed her bag down onto the table. "What's wrong?" she asked. Her aunt usually didn't show anger, so this must be something big.

"They didn't have what I was looking for," Aunt Kagome muttered.

"So? That isn't the first time this has happened," Kikyo pointed out. "What else happened?"

"The men. I suppose that an eternally young wife is their ideal, but they won't accept that I'm married."

"Oh. Well, either they thought you were me, or they just don't think your husband will come back. Didn't you say that he's been gone for over two thousand years?"

"Yes, dear. But anyway, I really need that spice."

"Well, maybe the next caravan will have it."

Aunt Kagome shook her head. "No, they said it's only found in Imil. If I want it, I'll have to go get it myself."

Kikyo knew how much her aunt hated leaving Inuyasha's Forest. "I'll go," she offered. "That way you can stay here."

"You've never been that far before. No, I'll go."

"Have you been there recently? Do you still know the way?"

"I'll be fine, Kikyo. It's been years since I've been there, but I'll manage somehow. Will you be okay if I leave for a little bit?"

"Yes, Aunt Kagome," she answered. "I'll make sure everything stays clean, and I'll care for the graves."

"What about strangers?"

"I'll be fine," Kikyo assured her. "I've taken care of people before, and if they're poachers, I know how to discourage them from coming back."

"Be careful," Aunt Kagome said, picking up her bag again. "I'm taking Hiraikotsu and the shakujo with me."

"I know how to use a bow and arrow," Kikyo said exasperatedly. "I am eighteen, you know."

"I know. Well, there's no time to leave like the present. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I'll try to come back soon."

"Take you time."

Aunt Kagome nodded as she packed food, clothes, and some extra coins in the bottom of her bag. Once she was satisfied with her supplies, she and Kikyo walked to the door, where she froze. "Is something wrong?" Kikyo asked in concern.

"I haven't left this place for very long since before you were born," she answered, her voice distant.

Kikyo didn't know what to say to that. Aunt Kagome shrugged her shoulders and took a step out the door. "I don't think I'll be back for at least three weeks, so take care."

"I will. Bye." She watched her aunt stride down the path, her miko clothes blowing behind her. All of a sudden, the forest seemed very empty. "Well, I guess I'd better see to feeding myself," she said aloud, taking comfort in her voice.

Aunt Kagome had always been a constant in Kikyo's life, so being here alone was quite disconcerting for her. She was almost relieved when another person wandered into Inuyasha's Forest. Like most other strangers found there, he was sick and was searching for the famed healer of the forest. Of course, he mistook her for her aunt, but she quickly informed him of his mistake. She couldn't tell if he believed her or not, but if he didn't, then she couldn't really blame him. She did look exactly like her aunt, for some unknown reason. Once the man was well, she escorted him out of the forest, just like she and her aunt did with the others. This time, though, she kept going to Vale.

"Well, if it isn't Kikyo," one of the village women greeted her. "It's good to see you again. My, you've grown into a beautiful lady on me."

Kikyo smiled at her. "I guess I have grown since you last saw me."

"So, has the old witch finally kicked the bucket and you've come to stay?"

"No, she's still alive, or she was several days ago."

"What happened?"

"She needed some spice that's only in Imil, so she left to get some."

"I always thought that she was bound to Inuyasha's Forest, and Vale was as far as she could travel from it."

Kikyo laughed; she knew the stories about her strange aunt. "No, she can leave if she wants. I just need to pick up some food since I'm on my own until she comes back."

"Well, take care of yourself."

"I will."

&&

The innkeeper at Vale eyed her customers with wariness. They all looked young to be traveling on their own, especially in these times. There were rumors that Lunpa and Champa were at war with each other, and were now seeking to recruit other cities to their cause. The innkeeper didn't think that anyone would; a war between a city of thieves and a city of pirates wasn't necessarily a bad one if it kept them occupied and out of mischief. Still, she didn't want any thieves or pirates in her inn, no sir!

One of the strangers approached. "Excuse me, ma'am," he started politely, "we were wondering what has happened here recently. My colleagues and I have been out of touch with civilization for awhile, so we aren't familiar with recent news."

"Define recently," the innkeeper replied. "Very recently, there's been a war between the Champa and the Lunpans."

"I always knew Dodonpa would get it," one of the blonde boys said from the table.

The innkeeper looked at him strangely. "Dodonpa? The leader of the Lunpans is Maran, and the king of the Champa is Rilam."

The blonde who had spoken looked startled, but the other boy was speaking again. "This place doesn't look very crowded. It's more like a ghost town, just like all the other cities we've passed through. What happened?"

"You really have been isolated, haven't you? About eighteen years ago, an epidemic swept through all of Weyard. It almost wiped out all of humanity. We still haven't recovered from it, and I don't think we will for years to come. But that doesn't mean we should give up. We'll make it; humans are natural survivors. Now, what else can I help you with?"

At that moment, a violet-haired woman coughed. The innkeeper looked at her in alarm. "She doesn't have the plague, does she?" she asked the stranger in front of her.

"No, she's just been coughing a lot lately. Why?"

"That was a symptom of the plague from eighteen years ago. You'd better take her to see Kikyo."

"Kikyo?" The boy's tongue stumbled on the strange name.

"Yes, the healer who lives in Inuyasha's Forest. She may be able to cure your friend."

A shocked look crossed the boy's face, but it was only for an instant, and the innkeeper figured it was just her imagination. "Would you like to stay at the inn tonight?" she asked.

The boy shook his head. "No, we'll go to Inuyasha's Forest and see this healer you spoke of."

The boy returned to his companions, and the innkeeper could hear their muttering. The violet-haired girl had another coughing fit, and her companions all had worried looks on their faces. "If you head east, you'll hit Inuyasha's Forest," the innkeeper offered. "Kikyo will find you there."

"Thank you," a different boy said. With that, they exited the inn, the innkeeper looking after them.

&&

Two weeks passed since her aunt left. Kikyo tended the graves just as she said she would. For some reason, she enjoyed being there. It was always calm here, and it never failed to soothe her worries. The writing of Aunt Kagome's home was strange, but beautiful. When she was a young girl, she asked her aunt to teach her, and Aunt Kagome complied with her request. Now she was fluent in both Japanese, the written and spoken forms, and the language of Weyard. It was probably a useless talent, but Aunt Kagome loved speaking in her native dialect, and Kikyo was happy to make her aunt happy.

It was growing dark out, so she hurried to complete her task. When she was done, she would soak away her aches and fix herself something to eat. She had just finished weeding the area around the Goshinboku when she heard the wind whisper the presence of strangers. Now, it wasn't that the wind actually spoke to her, but she and Aunt Kagome had picked up the language of the forest, and it alerted them of changes in the area.

_Please don't be poachers,_ she prayed, going inside and picking up her bow and arrows. The trees and wind pulled her in the direction of the people. She had to leave the path and blaze her own trail through the underbrush. _These people would choose to get lost far from the path,_ she grumbled after twenty minutes of thrashing through the bushes and small saplings.

A sound behind her caused her to automatically load and fire an arrow toward the source of the noise. When she saw what she had fired at, she was glad that it didn't hit. A man, looking startled, was staring at her, his sword drawn and a torch in his free hand.

"Who are you?" Kikyo demanded, bringing another arrow into a firing position. _He's dressed like a poacher! Just my luck._ "What business do you have in the forest of Inuyasha?"

The man squinted at her, stepping closer, but stopped when she pulled the arrow back farther. "Are you Kikyo?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yes, that is my name," she answered warily. "Why are you here?"

"Please, it's my wife," he explained, brushing blue hair out of his eyes. "She's had this cough for too long, and she can barely breathe."

Looking behind the man, she could see more people. A violet-haired woman was coughing violently and had to be supported by a short, blonde boy. "You're not poachers?" she asked in surprise.

The man shook his head. "No, we came to get help for my wife. The innkeeper said to go to you; can you help her?"

"Maybe. Please follow me, and I'll see what I can do." She turned and started going back the way she came. She could hear them all trail behind her, the woman still coughing. It took awhile to get back to her home since she had to make sure the people didn't get lost. They seemed to follow pretty well, though. "Here we are," she announced when her home came into view. "Just follow me."

Once inside, she made the woman sit on the bed in the sickroom. "Will you make sure she doesn't move?" she asked the blue-haired man who said she was his wife. He nodded, and she left to get her a cup of water. When she returned, the other eight were in various positions around the room. "Drink this," she ordered the woman. The wheezing woman took it gratefully and downed it.

While the woman drank, Kikyo studied her new companions. Now that she could see them clearly, they weren't any older than she herself was. They were looking around the room curiously, but so did everyone who came here. The houses in Inuyasha's Forest weren't built like any in Vale, and Aunt Kagome said that none of the other cities in the world were built like this. Except her hometown, of course.

"Okay, let's see what's wrong with you," Kikyo told the violet-haired woman cheerfully. Turning to the woman's companions, she said, "Would you mind terribly if I asked you to leave for a few minutes?"

No one minded, and they filed out the door. Kikyo turned back to her patient. "Before we begin, let's introduce ourselves. I'm Kikyo, and I'll be taking care of you. Who are you?"

"I'm Hamma," she answered.

"Well, Hamma, can you tell me how long you've had this cough?"

"A month now, and it's been getting worse. I know my husband's worried about it, but he hasn't been able to do anything to make it go away."

"Oh, is he a Water Adept?" Kikyo asked, getting her things together.

"Yes. I know it frustrates him when he can't cure something, so he's been a bit surly of late."

"I can imagine." Finding everything she needed, Kikyo stood next to Hamma. "Okay, I need you to swallow this." She handed her a small cup of tea. "Drink it slowly; it's hot."

Hamma obeyed, and Kikyo used her other sight to see what was wrong, just like Aunt Kagome taught her. _Found it!_ There was an infection in her lungs, and it was gradually causing them to shut down, thus the coughing fits. _Heat ought to get rid of that in no time. No wonder a Mercury Adept couldn't do this; they're aligned with the cold._ "Okay, I know what's wrong," she announced. "You just need to eat hot things, like soup, and you'll be okay."

"Is it contagious?" Hamma asked.

"No, why?"

"I would hate to have passed it on to any of my friends."

"No, this isn't contagious, so put your fears to rest. I'll go make some soup for you and your friends, so just relax and I'll send them in." She pushed the door open and beckoned to the waiting people. "You can see her. I'll make some soup for everyone, so just wait a few moments." She let them walk past her, then went to the kitchen to see what she would make them.

While she was preparing their meal, one of the girls, a redhead, came out. "Do you need any help?" she asked.

"No, I think I have everything under control," Kikyo answered, smiling at her. "You all must have been desperate for some sort of help to be wandering in Inuyasha's Forest at night."

"Hamma needed help, and the innkeeper recommended you. Will she be okay?"

"Yes. She just needs to eat hot food until that infection in her lungs is burned away. Then she'll be fine."

"Why do you live here in the forest by yourself?" the girl asked.

"I don't; my aunt lives here, too."

"Oh?" The girl's attention was completely on her.

"When I was a baby, the plague came to Vale. You heard about it, didn't you?" When the girl nodded, Kikyo continued. "It wiped out my entire family except me and my aunt. Once my family died, she took us to the forest, and we've lived here ever since."

"Oh, I'm sorry," the girl said sympathetically.

Kikyo waved it aside. "It's okay. I was only a few months old, so I don't remember any of them. She has pictures, but they don't really mean anything to me."

"We were just at Vale, and it doesn't look like the plague's still there. Why didn't you move back?"

Kikyo didn't particularly like being asked all these questions by a stranger. "We didn't want to."

"Where's you aunt?"

"She's out right now, but she should be back any day now." She checked the pot and found the soup ready. "Will you help me bring it in?"

The two of them brought in the soup. The travelers accepted it gratefully. "How long have you all been traveling?" Kikyo asked once they were all served.

"A long time," a small blonde girl answered, feeding some of her cooled soup to an infant Kikyo hadn't previously noticed. "We've lost track of how long."

"Where are you from?"

"I doubt you'd have heard of it. A village called Prox, in the Northern Wilds."

"Oh, I know where that is."

They all looked at her. "How did you know that?" the blue-haired boy asked.

"It's on the map."

"I didn't know they had a map that had Prox on it unless it was made there," a blue-haired girl said.

"Anyway, I expect all of you will be staying here tonight. I can put some mats out, and there are a few cots, but we don't normally entertain this many guests, so we don't have beds for everyone."

"That's fine," a redheaded boy said. "We're used to sleeping on the ground, so anything's better than that." The rest affirmed this statement.

"I can set up a cot in here so you can stay in here with your wife," she addressed the blue-haired boy. "Is a set-up in the living room okay with everyone else?"

It was, so she got the cot ready and headed back out to spacious living room. Once the beds for the rest of them were set up, the redheaded girl came up, holding the baby. "Do you have a crib?" she asked.

"Yes. I'll go get it." She was about to leave when the girl stopped her.

"I think Hamma will want her baby to stay with her."

"Hamma needs rest more than anything. I can set up a crib out here."

"Okay. We'll take care of Kagome, then."

Kikyo stopped dead. "What?"

"The baby's name is Kagome."

"Why name a baby that? I know the name Kagome is legendary, but it's a bit foreign, don't you think?"

"Yes, but it's unique, and this is a unique baby. At least, she is in her parents' eyes."

_I guess Aunt Kagome's more of a legend than I originally thought._ She put the crib up and left them after telling them where she was sleeping in case they needed anything. Right before she went to sleep, she thought, _I didn't get the names of the rest of the group. Oh, well, I'll get them tomorrow._

Of course, she forgot. In her mind, she started calling them by some trait, like the blue-haired boy became Hairband because of the band he wore around his head. They did their part to help her around the house while she tended to Hamma. The redheaded girl, Fiery, and the blue-haired girl, Misty, cooked and made the soup for Hamma. The small, blonde ones, Windy and Rock, kept the place spotless. The rest of them did outside work, and everyone looked out for Kagome, the baby.


	25. Chapter 25

**Read the message at the end of the chapter, please. It's muy importante.**

**Epobbp: Yes, they're back, only it's been 2,000 years, not 20. Quite a difference. But I did update, so you don't have to destroy your voicebox anymore.**

**Sieg15: Hooked another one! Well, here's more.**

**Link/Sesshoumaru/Felix fan: Yeah, it's depressing thinking about school, so I try not to. Glad I could brighten your day.**

**Savinglifelessness: Things'll resolve themselves. Yes, I like to twist things, but I don't like leaving them twisted. I almost always fix what I've messed up. Not always, but most of the time.**

&&

It was weird being around so many other people. All her life, it had just been her, Aunt Kagome, and whatever stranger happened to get lost in the forest. Then Aunt Kagome left, and she was alone. Now there were eleven people living under one roof, and it was overwhelming. There was very little privacy and almost no time alone since she had to look after Hamma.

"Kikyo," called Icy, the tall blonde with piercing blue eyes.

"Yes," she answered.

"You're running low on those herbs you've been giving Hamma. Did you want someone to go get more from Vale?"

"That would be great," she replied. "Do you know how to get there?"

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll be back in a little while."

"Wait, there's a point in the forest where you lose your way."

"I know. I'll just find the path and come back here."

"How did he know that?" she muttered.

"He's had occasion to use it," Shadow, a silent, brown-eyed boy answered from her elbow.

She yelped and almost dropped her load of logs. "Don't do that!" she scolded him. "What do you mean, he's had occasion to use it?"

"He's had to leave the boundary and come back with dead timber, so he knows which path to use."

"Well, I guess I don't have to worry about him, then," she chuckled. "Okay, I'll just finish stacking these, then go check on Hamma."

Shadow turned back to his own task.

&&

Four weeks. She'd been gone for four weeks. And all because of those darned spices! Kagome was rushing home, her bag filled almost to bursting with her spices. _At least I got some extra stuff, too. Kikyo and I will have fun experimenting with these. I hope she's okay. I would've been home sooner, but I forgot that Imil is eternally winterlocked, so I didn't count on the snow being there._

Inuyasha's Forest came into view. _I'm almost home. I'm sorry I've been away for so long._ She pushed her way through the underbrush until she came to her path. Like a horse that knows it's almost home, she unconsciously picked up the pace to a run. _Please let everything be alright,_ she prayed.

When she could see her house, she breathed a small sigh of relief. It looked like it had been kept tidy, so that must mean that someone was keeping it clean. Hopefully that someone was Kikyo.

Kagome wiped sweat from her brow. After being in Imil, this heat was almost unbearable. "Kikyo," she called, entering the house. "I'm back."

The sound of a door being opened caused her to look at the sickroom, where a violet-haired girl came out. "Kikyo, you're back," the girl said, smiling. "I wasn't expecting you to be back so soon."

"Oh, I'm not Kikyo," Kagome said, putting her bag down on the table. "I'm her aunt. Who are you?"

"I am Hamma. You look exactly like her."

"Yes, you can tell we're related. Anyway, what seems to be the problem?"

Hamma told her of her problem, and Kagome immediately made her some soup. She sat down and watched Hamma eat. "So, how long have you been here?"

They talked of things going on in the outside world, like how the drought in Xian devastated their silk trade. "Where is Kikyo? I would have thought that she'd stay here."

"Oh, she's helping the others find their way to a hot spring."

"Others?"

"Yes, my companions. They left, which leaves me and my baby." As if it could sense that it was being talked about, a wail started in the sickroom. Hamma sighed. "I'm coming, Kagome," she called.

"Kagome?" Kagome inquired as Hamma rose.

"Yes, my baby. You've heard of Kagome, haven't you?"

"I'll have to say yes to that one." _So, my name passes on to someone else. Again._

Hamma returned, carrying a baby who was now as quiet as a hummingbird. "This is Kagome."

Kagome the baby looked at Kagome the miko. The miko was startled to see almost an exact replica of Kikyo when she was an infant, eighteen years ago. "It's good to meet you," she told the baby, who giggled.

"Hamma! We're home," Kikyo's voice called from the hallway.

"Welcome back," Hamma answered. "Oh, you're aunt's back."

Footsteps charged through the hall, and Kikyo was in the doorway. "Aunt Kagome," she cried, running to her aunt and embracing her. "You're back!"

"Yes. I'm sorry I was gone for so long, though I see you weren't lacking in company."

"They came a few weeks after you left. Hamma's coming along very well; her cough is almost gone."

They both looked at Hamma, who was looking at them strangely. "I guess she doesn't speak Japanese," Kikyo giggled.

"I bought some other spices while I was there, so now I need to find a place for them," Kagome said in the common tongue.

"I'll help," Kikyo volunteered. "Hamma, do you need anything?"

"No, but I can help you two if you'd like me to."

"Great! Maybe you've had some of these spices before, and you can tell us what they're good for."

"You mentioned others," Kagome said casually to Hamma as they put the spices in order.

"Yes, my husband, brother, and their companions. Where are they, Kikyo?"

"Oh, I took them to the hot springs. They had been doing some tough work, so I thought they'd like to soak away their aches. They should be coming back in a little while."

"Oh, these are good on roasted chicken," Hamma exclaimed, holding up one of the spices.

"Looks like we'll have to get some chicken, then," Kikyo told her aunt, grinning.

Kaogme sighed. "If you insist," she said, "but you'll be the one getting it."

"Sugoi!" Kikyo squealed.

"She's just excited about having chicken," Kagome said at Hamma's blank look. Turning back to her niece, she said mock-sternly, "If you want it tonight, then I suggest you hurry to Vale and go get one."

"Okay." Hamma and Kagome watched the young miko in training run out the door. Silently Kagome counted to three, which was when Kikyo reappeared in the doorway, grabbed the bag of coins she had forgotten, and ran out the door again.

Kagome shook her head. "So young," she murmured. "She'll outgrow it. I hope."

"Now that I've seen the two of you together, I can't tell the difference between you," Hamma noted. "You don't appear to be any older than she is, yet you call her young."

"I raised her when her family died; that was eighteen years ago. I may look like I'm eighteen, but I'm much older. I prefer not to think of my age."

Kagome put the last spice in the pantry and exited. "I think I'll go see how well she's kept the graves," she informed her companion. "Would you like to come?"

"No, I'd better feed Kagome," she said, bouncing the restless baby. "Kikyo has done a very good job with tending to the graves. I've seen them, and she's been out there every day. I'd be surprised if those headstones aren't sparkling in the moonlight."

"I'm glad they've been kept up. Those graves were here before this house was even made, and I'd hate to see them weathered away."

Just as Hamma said, the graves were well kept, the words written on the stones bright and clear. She knelt by Inuyasha's grave. "I'm sorry for being gone so long," she told the silent stones. "It's hard for me to leave this place, but I did it. Maybe whatever's holding me here is weakening. Does that mean that Felix is dead? Should I give up waiting and travel to another continent to find someone else?"

She didn't hear footsteps until a masculine voice spoke from behind her. "Kikyo, is something wrong?"

Kagome whirled and stood to face a man about Kikyo's age, looking at her in concern. Longish brown hair, pulled back in a low ponytail, brown eyes, kind face. "Felix?"

Shock and hope warred on his face. "Kagome?"

She nodded slowly, then was caught up in his embrace. "Kagome, Kagome, Kagome," he repeated her name like a mantra, squeezing her.

She was little better. "Felix, you've come back to me," she murmured. "What took you so long? I missed you."

"Not as much as I missed you. We all missed you."

"You found the others?" She pulled back slightly so she could look at his face. Oh, how she missed him! Her waiting had paid off; after two thousand years of patience, he was back with her.

"There's so much to tell you, and so little time to do it."

"Where are the others?"

"They'll be coming along shortly. Why did you say your name was Kikyo?"

"I didn't. Kikyo is my niece. She went to Vale to get a chicken for dinner tonight."

He laughed. "Still afraid of leaving Inuyasha's Forest for too long?"

Kagome pulled back, her hands on her hips. "I just traveled for four weeks to Imil, I'll have you know," she huffed. "That's why I wasn't here when you all showed up."

"I'm impressed," he said. "Come, let's go see how Hamma's doing."

"By the way, she mentioned a brother and a husband," Kagome brought up as the entered the house. "Do you know who they are?"

"Yeah, Ivan and Piers."

"What!"

"Hamma is Ivan's older sister, and while we were…gone, she married Piers."

Hamma looked up as they entered. "Oh, I see you met Felix," she said to Kagome.

Felix cleared his throat. "Hamma, I would like you to meet my wife, Kagome."

At that statement, Hamma rose. "So this is the woman you wanted to get back to for so long," she stated, smiling. "I've heard so much about you."

"I see," Kagome replied, not sure how to react.

Kikyo chose that moment to return with the chicken. "I got it," she announced, then looked at the scene before her. "Did I miss something?"

"Kikyo, this is your Uncle Felix, my husband," Kagome informed her niece. She could tell that Kikyo didn't comprehend what she had just told her. "He and your family have returned."

"Uh-huh. Well, um, nice to meet you. I, uh, guess I'll make the chicken now."

"I'll help," Kagome said. "Felix, can you keep Hamma company?" When it looked like he was going to protest, she continued. "I need to talk to Kikyo. I think this shocked her." He nodded and sat back down.

"Kikyo," she called outside.

Her niece was plucking the feathers off the bird. "So, I guess this means we'll have permanent house guests, ne?" Her voice sounded cheery enough, but her eyes said something entirely different.

"I know things will change, but we'll be okay," she assured Kikyo. "We'll have more company, at any rate."

"Aunt Kagome, it's always been just the two of us, and now these people are moving in."

"Not all of them," Kagome laughed. "Just Felix. The others have homes of their own. Now, I know that it'll be strange at first, but things will work out."

&&

At first he thought she was a ghost, haunting the area. Then, when she stood up and called him by name, he felt compelled to touch her, just to be sure if she was alive or dead. She was alive. He couldn't believe his luck; she was still alive and she hadn't remarried. When he first saw Kikyo, he was worried. They looked exactly alike. He had mistaken her for his wife, but she quickly showed that she most definitely wasn't.

"What's on your mind, Felix?" Hamma asked.

"A lot of things," he answered. "I can't believe I'm home again, and it's been at least eighteen years since we've been gone."

"It was hard keeping track of time where we were," Hamma agreed. "It's been much longer than eighteen years since she's seen you."

"How do you know that?" Felix asked.

"Well, Kikyo calls Kagome 'Aunt Kagome', which means she must be descended from one of the children you left behind. The children had to grow up, then have Kikyo, then die, and that all takes time."

"They were so young when we left," he murmured. "Kimi wasn't even speaking yet."

"Maybe you could ask Kagome what happened to them, but I think they died in the plague."

"I hope they can take it." They both knew to whom he was referring.

At that moment, the front door opened. "Hey, Felix, you here?" they heard Isaac call.

"Yes, I'm in the living room with Hamma."

They all trooped in, hair dripping wet, but thoroughly happy. "So, is Kikyo back yet?" Ivan asked, trying to towel his hair dry, but failing because of Sheba grabbing the towel away from him.

"Yeah. She's plucking a chicken for dinner." He stood up. "I just found out that my wife is still alive."

They all looked at him. "That's great," Mia cried. "Where is she?"

"She still lives here. She's been taking care of Kikyo, and right now she's-"

"Walking in the door," Kagome finished, standing in the doorway with Kikyo and the dead chicken behind her.

Within moments her friends surrounded her, all seeming to want to talk at once. Felix and Hamma stayed where they were and watched the scene before them. It didn't escape Felix's notice that Kikyo hung back from the crowd. Their eyes caught one another's, and he saw that she was very frightened of this. They represented change in her former life, and she didn't like it one bit.

She edged past the reunion happening in the center of the room and passed into the kitchen. Felix followed. "Why aren't you joining the rest of them?" she asked coolly without looking up.

"I can understand why you're upset," Felix stated, resting his elbows on the counter. "But we aren't here to steal Kagome's affection from you."

"It's always been just the two of us," she muttered, shoving a wooden stake through the chicken.

"Do you wish we'd never come?"

She hesitated. "No," she admitted. "I want Aunt Kagome to be happy, and I know that she's not been this happy in my entire life. It's just…strange."

"It will be strange for all of us. Kagome probably isn't used to near neighbors anymore, and here a near-stranger will be staying in the same room as her. I'm not used to being around others, either, except for my friends in the other room. I'll make you a deal. If you'll give us a shot, then I'll do my best to see that you are as comfortable with this as I can make it. I can't offer any more than that."

"I will do the same."

"Thank you." He really meant it. "Here, I'll cook it."

"Thanks, Shadow," she whispered. It was so soft he probably wasn't meant to hear it, so he didn't comment on the nickname.

Dinner was noisy. They were all trying to catch up on what had been happening for the time they were gone, but the question of what had happened to their children was carefully skirted. As it progressed late into the night, Hamma and the baby retired, as did Kikyo. Now only the nine original friends were at the table; it was time for the questions that no one could ask in the presence of Kikyo or Hamma.

"Kagome, what happened to our children?" Jenna asked.

"They didn't inherit our long life," Kagome answered quietly, her head bowed. "Once they were grown, they moved out of the forest, led their own lives, and died."

"The plague," Jenna murmured.

Kagome's head jerked up. "No, they died of old age," she corrected her, sounding puzzled. "They weren't around when any of the plagues hit Vale."

"I thought there was a plague in Vale eighteen years ago," Isaac said.

"There was. That's what killed Kikyo's parents, your descendants."

"I don't understand," Garet butted in.

Kagome looked at all of them in disbelief. "Do any of you know how long you've been gone?" she asked.

They all shook their heads. "We were kept in a place where we couldn't tell how much time passed," Ivan explained. "We could see the changing of the seasons, but we lost track of the years."

"You've been missing for over two thousand years."

Even Felix started at this. _Two thousand years? We knew we were gone for more than ten, but two thousand? How is that possible?_

"So, none of our line still lives," Sheba said sadly.

"No, Kikyo is blood to one of us," Ivan corrected her. "Whose family is she from? Not that it matters, but I'd still like to know."

Everyone leaned towards Kagome. "Well," Felix's wife started, "she's blood to everyone here, except for me. I'm related by marriage, but that's it."

They stared at her blankly. "Your children married each other, so she's descended from all of you."

Comprehension dawned on them. "I see," Ivan murmured. He started to say something else, but a yawn stopped him. "Sorry, guys," he apologized. "I think I need to hit the sack. Um, Kagome?"

"Yes?"

"Are our houses still standing?"

"They are, surprisingly. Kikyo and I have kept them clean for the past eighteen years, and before that, whoever happened to be staying there cleaned them. When your children left, they still visited, as did their children, so the houses have been lived in and cleaned. If you want to go back, feel free. I know you all must miss them."

The majority agreed; Piers decided to stay since his wife and child were already asleep, and he didn't want to leave or wake them. When Piers had joined his wife and the others had left, Kagome turned to Felix. "So, why is it that only Piers has a child?" she asked.

"The others didn't want to drag a family back here once we escaped," he responded, drinking in the sight of her. Two thousand years, and she was still as young and beautiful as when he met her in Contigo. She had gained more knowledge and sorrow; the deaths of their friends' children, and then their children, and so on had changed her. Still, she could smile and laugh. "Have we really been gone for two thousand years?"

"Yes."

"If I'd known that we'd be gone for that long, I wouldn't have left you."

She shook her head. "I know you, Felix. If you thought your friends were in danger, you would go save them, even if it meant leaving me alone. I accept that; I did the same for my friends who are now buried, and I'll do the same for the living ones. It's not fair to ask you not to."

"Do you forgive me?"

She closed the distance between them. "I do," she replied, embracing him. "Just…try not to do it again."

Laughing, he returned her embrace. "I'll try not to."

"Things will be hard, getting used to you all living here again after everyone trying to convince me you were all dead and telling me I should move on. And then there's Kikyo."

"We've come to a sort of truce. We'll try not to step on each other's toes."

"I'm glad you're back."

"I'm glad to be back. Thank you for waiting. I'll try to make the wait worthwhile."

Owari 

&&

**I have both good news and bad news. It's the same news, but it's both good and bad. Here it is: the story's finished. There is no more. Now, I suppose I _could_ write another one to go with this one, but I don't know if anyone wants me to. If enough people want me to continue this, then I will. Just let me know, and we'll see. I wouldn't update quite as often since I'd have to write it, then post it, whereas this one was already finished when I first put up the first chapter. It's so sad that it's finished; I loved working on this.**


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